


Red Mist

by DavinaCFox



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: AU setting, Alternate Universe - Future, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Car Sex, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explosions, F/M, Falling In Love, Gunshot Wounds, Heartache, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Virginity, Love Triangles, Making Love, Massage, Masturbation, Murder, Oral Sex, Recovery, Revenge, Sex Talk, Shooting, Strong Female Characters, True Love, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-10-29 20:42:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 48,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17815187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DavinaCFox/pseuds/DavinaCFox
Summary: AU future fic with season 5 inspired settings in an AU Gotham. After avenging her father's murder Stacey Ripper, a descendant of serial killer Jack - is sent away from London by her brother,  to the badlands city of Gotham to live under the protection of crime lord Penguin, who at 50 years old has built up an empire, but never known love.Oswald quickly falls for Stacey, but his enemy Jervis Tetch hypnotises her, forcing her to shoot the man she loves. As Oswald begins a difficult recovery and struggles with memory loss, recalling nothing of Stacey, a face from the past returns offering help – leading to a love affair, and when his memory returns, he faces a hard choice between the two women in his life. Meanwhile, shattered by the damage the shooting has done to Oswald, Stacey vows to take revenge on Tetch - who doesn't know her rage will be savage beyond belief - when she says she will kill his men and have his head on a spike, she won't stop until the deed is done...





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 

Many years had passed by since Oswald Cobblepot had first claimed City Hall as his home. Now it was his well furnished grey marble palace, where he lived in luxury, alone... _Not entirely alone_. There was Edward Nygma, who worked quietly alongside him as a business partner, his best friend Ed. Dear Ed who he had loved for many years, who could only offer friendship in return because he couldn't keep his eyes or his hands off every woman that caught his gaze no more than he could control his raging libido. Then there was Olga, his maid and housekeeper and, _multi tasking personal staff_ was the only way he could describe her. And of course, there was Edward, his bulldog. He wasn't entirely alone.

 _But his bed was empty every night_. _It always had been._ He had never known the love of a man or a woman - and there had been several times when he had pined for both, but life had not dealt him a good hand when it came to love. He was fifty years old now, slightly over weight and walking with a limp that he was sure did nothing to improve his appearance. Despite the designer suits and his groomed appearance, he was sure no one would ever want him. But as he took a video call from London he was not aware all of _that_ was about to change...

Oswald sat at his desk, looking into the screen. The man who looked back at him was in his forties with a stocky build, and he rubbed his hands together nervously as a gold sovereign ring caught the light.

“Penguin!” he exclaimed, “Long time no see, how is life in Gotham? I trust business is good?”

Oswald looked back at him, then paused to sip scotch from his glass. He thought about it... this guy was.. Oh yes, he remembered. Calvin... _something._.. irritating little guy. He had done several weapons shipment deals with him. Since his weapons trade had gone international, Oswald had dealt with many different people, but he recalled Calvin because he was an idiot. An idiot who had inherited a big chunk of gang land turf in London from his late father who had been killed by an assassin, but Calvin was still an idiot. They had spoken several times a while back, and they had got on to the subject of family and Oswald had mentioned his mother's name was Kapelput. It had taken six attempts to correct him before Calvin had realised it wasn't a German name and had stopped greeting him with a cheery _Guten tag, Herr Penguin,_ every time they had commenced a business chat...

“Business is fine, Calvin,” he replied, “What's the reason for this unexpected call?”

Calvin paused.

“Ah... well...” he did that _thing_ with his hands again, then rubbed them together a little harder as sweat began to show on his face through the camera, “I have a situation on my hands. If you could help me out I would be forever in your debt. I can arrange for payment in artworks or diamonds, just name your price and I'll get my people on to it...”

He looked back at him. Oswald knew the look of a desperate man.

“What is this about, Mr.... I'm sorry, what was your last name?”

Calvin smiled. He was still sweating.

“Ripper – like Jack, ha ha, no relation!”

Oswald set his pale gaze coldly on the screen.

“What is this about, Mr Ripper?” he asked again.

Calvin paused, then he avoided his gaze for a moment. When he looked back at the screen, that desperate look was back.

“I'll level with you – my baby sister's in trouble and needs to leave the country.”

“What did she do?”

Oswald took another sip from his glass, leaning back in his seat as he waited for the answer.

“She killed the man who murdered our Dad,” he replied, “It was... _messy_ , too. And CCTV caught her going into the building, it's only a matter of time before the old bill -”

“ _The what?”_ Oswald asked.

“The police... it's only a matter of time before they realise it's her. And we have bigger things to worry about, if certain underworld people find out it was her, my little sister is dead. She needs to disappear. I know your vast city has been isolated from the rest of the world since the war. Your city is so lawless it's left off modern maps and no one can gain lawful access. It's perfect. She needs to vanish.”

Oswald paused for thought.

“Tell me about your sister.”

He seemed confused by the question.

“Stacey? She's twenty-eight, five feet one, very slim – she's a tiny girl, long dark hair, tattoos -”

Oswald held his hand up.

“I mean, what is she like as a person? How come she took the guy out without your knowledge?”

Calvin hesitated.

“It's been hard work since Dad was shot. I said we would have the man responsible killed at a later date, put some distance between the two crimes. Miles said don't do it for several years, because we have too much to lose if it goes tits up, he even said we should consider going to the police about it... He's clueless! We're still trying to establish control here - it's not true what people say about me, I am capable of running my Dad's business...” he shook his head, “But Miles has never had the balls to do things the underworld way.”

“Who is Miles?” Oswald asked.

“My younger brother. He's a bit of an idiot. I'm the brains around here!” he smiled proudly.

Oswald smiled back politely. _If Calvin was the brains, he didn't want to picture what the rest of his mob were like..._

“Just tell me about Stacey,” he said.

“She's a lovely sweet girl,” Calvin replied, “But she's tough. She just couldn't wait any longer to avenge Dad's death.”

“Who did she kill?” Oswald asked.

“A gang boss called Jax Marmaduke. He was a big fella twice her size.”

“Did she shoot him?”

Calvin paused again. He rubbed his hands together.

“No.... she erm.... used a knife. _A hunting knife_.”

“She stabbed him?” Oswald was mildly impressed that such a small, slightly built woman could take such revenge for her father's death, taking on an enemy twice her size.

“Initially... _yes_ ,” Calvin said as he swallowed hard, “Then she carved him up a bit. Anyway, enough about _that_... do you think we can come to some sort of arrangement, and quickly? I need to get her out of the country.”

Oswald paused for thought. _He wondered, was she irritating like her brother?_

“Can you show me a picture of her?” he asked, “I am curious.”

“Sure... I'll send it to your phone. I have all my important numbers on my iPhone!”

Oswald poured another drink and gave a sigh as he looked into the lap top screen and Calvin fiddled with his phone, then slapped it and shook his head.

“Just give me a minute... this is supposed to be the latest model... I got it off my cousin, he's got a garage full of 'em... Bloody screen cuts out...”

Oswald gave another sigh, but waited patiently, genuinely curious to see an image of idiot Calvin's sister.

“Here's one I took at a party a few weeks back, I'll send it now.”

Oswald's phone buzzed. He glanced at the image and couldn't help but register surprise as he raised an eyebrow... she was attractive. _Very_ attractive, it was rare for him to bother to acknowledge that kind of realisation because he knew there was little point, at his age, and with so little to offer. A woman like her wouldn't look at him twice, he felt certain of it. But he was willing to help a damsel in distress. That thought amused him, and he didn't dare to show it. _A damsel in distress?_ That was rather romantic, and most unlike him to think that way. It had been years since those kind of thoughts had come to mind...

“Calvin,” he said, “I have decided I will offer your sister protection. I take it this is a short term arrangement?”

“Just name your price. I need her gone.”

Oswald smiled and took another drink and then set his glass down.

“You arrange the flight and I will arrange a boat to bring her into the city,” he replied, “Contact me as soon as the flight is booked and I will take it from there.”

“Thank you so much, Penguin! I owe you a favour!”

Oswald's eyes were like blue ice as he looked back at him.

“You can be sure when I need a favour, I _will_ expect immediate response.”

“Of course, Penguin! And once again, thanks ever so much -”

“Goodbye, Mr Ripper,” he said, and ended the call.

Then Oswald looked at the picture on his phone:

Stacey, smiling at a party with a drink in her hand. She was standing with other people, who seemed to enjoy her company... _so not irritating like her brother, then_... He looked into her green eyes, took in the sight of the serpent tattoo coiled around her left arm. Her right arm had the elegant limbs of a tree and birds taking flight. She was pretty, too – wide eyes framed by heavy eyeliner and long, mascara coated lashes... she was tiny, and slender and wrapped in a colourful mini dress that clung to her body, her slender legs seemed impossibly delicate as she stood in tall, spiked heels. Her dark hair was a shade between brown and black and tied up in a high ponytail that fell to her waist. Oswald felt a flicker of arousal and finished his drink, feeling sure he would enjoy her company...in a platonic way. Of course, to expect anything else would be ridiculous...

He got up from his desk and walked stiffly across the vast room, then caught sight of himself in the mirror, he was heavier than he had been in his youth, and it was noticeable, especially the little roll of fat around his belly that made him look broad in his suit. His leg was much stiffer and more painful than it used to be, but his leg brace helped... He paused at the mirror, stepped closer and studied his face. He still looked youthful. He didn't look fifty. And his silky, raven black hair was swept up into elaborate spikes, and still had no trace of grey. _But I am overweight, I walk with a limp and I am... Penguin_ , he said silently, as he looked downward, then closed his eyes as he almost wished he didn't feel the start of an erection. What was the point, he would go to his bedroom, lock the door and jerk off for five minutes, with his eyes closed as he imagined.. _What? Stacey Ripper on her knees taking his cock into her mouth? Stacey opening her legs and begging him to fuck her?_

“Stop it!” he said quietly, and shook his head, “You are quite alone in this life. That is never going to change.”

 

As Oswald limped out of the room and made his way up to his bedroom his leg ached, reminding him of the mess it was from the knee down. Old breaks and a twisted limb that looked ugly naked, like the rest of him, he thought depressingly as he reached his bedroom and closed the door, it was late and he felt safe to assume he would not be interrupted, every other night at this late hour always saw him alone...

He walked across the palatial room to a four poster bed that was meant for two and sat down heavily, paused to take off his leg brace and then he felt a dull ache that started in his hip and spread to his knee as he leaned over, taking off his shoes. His damaged ankle ached sharply as he got comfortable on top of the covers, then he turned on his side and accessed the picture again. _She would never know. And he would never tell her._ He was just thankful her image had prompted such a strong response, it was a rarity...

He was unbearably hard as he tugged at his zip and freed his erection. His hand closed around his cock as he drew a handkerchief from his pocket, making a quick mental note that he would have to wash it out in the bathroom before he placed it with the rest of the laundry, because Olga did that for him and he couldn't let her know he had been indulging in self pleasure. The thought was almost enough to kill his hard on, but as he looked at the image on his phone, he imagined Stacey on her knees, sucking his cock while he held her hair back like a gentleman... _She would suck him hard, looking up at him with desire in her eyes, he would hold her hair tighter and push it all in, the whole length, she would take his big cock all the way down her throat and –_ he jerked harder, his breath coming in short bursts as he came in hot spurts, breathing heavy as he watched it hit the white cotton of the handkerchief.

“ _I see you're still up! So am I!”_ said Edward Nygma.

Oswald froze for a split second, feeling heat spread through his face as he pushed his cock back into this clothing and tugged at his zip, grabbing his phone as he sat up on the edge of the bed. He stared at Ed, who was staring back at him.

“Did I um...interrupt something?” Ed asked, feeling awkward. Oswald's face was flushed, he was slightly out of breath and there was a handkerchief on the bed glistening with...Oh, dear... he had walked in on Oswald jerking off. _I didn't even think you bothered_ , was his silent thought as he saw guilt in his best friend's eyes. Now Ed was blushing too.

“I...I was just...on my phone,” Oswald stammered as he got up and limped stiffly over to him, “What do you want at this late hour, Ed?”

Ed glanced behind him. Oswald wanted the ground to open up and swallow him.  _Oh god no, he had seen the come on the handkerchief..._ He stepped into his line of vision, blocking the sight of it as his face blushed furiously.

“Well?” he snapped, “What do you want?”

Ed looked at the floor, then the reflection of the glow of the firelight as it burned brightly in the fireplace, then he looked to the fine furnishings, anywhere but that bed or Oswald's gaze.

“Are you sure I didn't...interrupt something?” he asked cautiously.

“ _No, I was just on my phone!”_ Oswald insisted, blushing furiously as he looked at his best friend, who he had always adored, and who adored him – in his own way. Ed had figured it out, he was sure of it. Oswald was mortified to know he had walked in on him at such a private moment...Ed spoke up quickly.

“I couldn't sleep, and I was thinking about what you told me about cutting Tetch out of the shipping agreement. This could stir up some serious trouble, Oswald,” he said, “Maybe there's a way around this -”

Oswald glared at him. In all the years he had held on to his territory, through war and the years after, he had never allowed Ed to question major decisions. His control of a large slice of the docks had meant others who controlled territories were willing to make deals with him. And he didn't deal with anyone who screwed him over...

“He's been sliding in weapons and ammo from outside the city – that's a threat to my industry! And I know for a fact he's done side deals with Velaska because I asked Victor to torture one of his men to get the information. Tetch is making three times the profit he should be, I'm not getting the right cut and what the hell is he doing with the weapons? I don't trust him, Ed. He's a threat to my business and our agreement must be severed. I intend to tell him that when we meet next week.”

Ed's eyes darkened. All thoughts of the handkerchief and Oswald's awkward embarrassment were gone now. As he stood there in the warm glow of soft lamplight that made his question mark suit shimmer as he shifted closer, he lowered his voice, leaning in, looking into Oswald's eyes as he spelled out his fears.

“He could have a fucking army out there. We don't know where Tetch is – he has his little slice of territory and part of that territory is on the edge of the city, the woodlands too, he could be anywhere, planning anything. All we know for certain is where ever he is now, that sick bastard is probably jacking off over old pictures of his dead sister while he makes his plans. He's a scumbag, Oswald. Either watch and wait, or send Victor and a few of the guys to track him down and wipe him out. Telling him the deal is off is like pouring gasoline on to a fire!”

Oswald shifted awkwardly. Ed wondered if maybe he shouldn't have mentioned the phrase _jacking off_ , in light of what was on the bed. Then Oswald spoke up again as his pale eyes shone like cold steel.

“We don't know there is a fire, Ed. He could have simply done a few favours between friends to make some extra cash or what ever else he desired in exchange. I'm doing this because he broke the deal, not because I think he's about to start a war. Tetch can't resist working with others, and I doubt anyone wants to see the rest of this busted up city burn, there would be nothing left but a pile of ash!”

“Maybe, but I have my doubts.”

Oswald gave a weary sigh.

“Let's talk about this tomorrow. It's late and I'm tired...By the way, we will have company soon. A guy I did business with from England is sending his sister over to stay with us. She got into some trouble in London and needs to vanish for a while.”

He showed her the picture on his phone.

“Stacey Ripper. Her older brother controls a large amount of turf in London.”

Ed's eyes gleamed at the sight of the woman in the picture.

“I can't wait to meet her, it would be _so_ nice to have some company around here!” Ed told him, flashing a smile.

Oswald's heart sank, although he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the thought that Ed would get there first and... no,  _if_ she was interested in a date, Ed would get there first, _fact_ , because he knew he stood no chance anyway...There was little point being disappointed over what he saw as an inevitable outcome.

“It's late,” Oswald reminded him.

“Yes...I should say goodnight,” Ed wanted to hug him as he saw a look in his eyes that he couldn't define. Oswald was lonely, so damned lonely, and it caused a big ache in his heart to open up when he recalled many years before when Oswald had told him that he loved him. Perhaps, if he had been open to the suggestion at the time it would have been different. But then Oswald had killed Kristen and he had shot Oswald and.... it had been such a mess back then. These days the name _Riddler_ was known for two things: working alongside Oswald to control the turf, and being relentless in his pursuit of women. Ed wasn't sure which he was addicted to more, the danger of this criminal life, the next pretty face or the secret stash of pills he kept in a small tin in his pocket...he guessed it was all an addiction, and had no intention of breaking free of any of it.

As he left the room Oswald limped over to the bed and snatched up the offending handkerchief, then he went into the bathroom to wash it before leaving it with the rest of the dirty laundry. Moments later he was back in his bedroom and then he heard four paws trot across the floor and he smiled down at his bulldog Edward, who looked up at him with bright eyes that seemed to carry a smile as he stood there and Oswald smiled down at him.

“Hello Edward,” he said, pausing to lean down and pet his dog, “It's getting late, you should go off to bed now, be a good boy for Daddy.”

The dog went over to his very regal dog bed, where he curled up for the night. Oswald went back over to his own equally regal four poster bed and paused to look again at the picture on his phone. Then he got undressed and got into bed and turned out the light, his thoughts still on Stacey Ripper...

 

72 Hours Later:

 

As the taxi moved slowly through traffic, Stacey Ripper was in a halfway place between sleeping and waking as she felt the car turn a corner, and the events of the past few days played through her mind:

Words had whispered through her head, that same phrase over and over as she had broken into the London flat of the man who had ordered her father's death:

She had looked at the shining blade in her hand.

 _..._ _My knife's_ so _nice and sharp_

She had found him in the shower.

_...I want to get to work right away_

The first few stabs were easy, but it didn't make her feel much better as the blood ran away down the drain along with the last of the water and she turned it off. She had smiled as she dragged the body through to the front room, then the gleam of the blade was silver and bloody against the flesh it pierced so easily, like a hot spreading knife through butter.

_She carved off his face._

_She slit him open and pulled out his guts._

She had taken her time, working into the early hours of the morning.

Then she had showered, cleaned the place up. No prints left behind. Oh, the look on his face when that bastard had seen her standing there... a red mist had covered her vision and taking that blade to flesh had been second nature. _So right. So easy. And what a pretty work of art she had left in the front room..._

Those words had run through her head again, and it felt so right.

__My knife's_ so _nice and sharp,_ I want to get to work right away _

She had done good work that night.

She had killed the man who killed her father.

And whatever had risen inside her was deep and primal and powerful. It made her feel stronger, taller, and it was a part of her, as if something inhuman had woven itself into her DNA...

She didn't feel bad about it. She had done it as an act of revenge, for her Dad, she had done it borne of grief and love and everything that mattered and that was how this _thing_ inside her was best used, a tool for vengeance. It seemed to make sense. She had no urge to go around hacking up innocent people. But if anyone touched anybody she loved... she knew it was there now. It was hers. Maybe, it had always been there...

_Her brothers had been shocked._

Calvin had grabbed her by her slender arm and pushed her on to the armchair as he stood over her, fuming with rage.

“ _What the actual FUCK did you do yesterday?”_ he yelled, _“I heard it looked like looked like a slaughterhouse! You are leaving, sis. I can't deal with THIS sick shit!”_

Her younger brother Miles had been very different to Calvin.

He had walked in after Calvin had stormed out to have a few beers down the local pub and calm his nerves. Miles had taken a seat and looked at her with fear in his eyes as he nervously ran his fingers through his dark hair.

“Listen, Sis,” he said, “You can't go around doing what you did last night... it's 2019!”

“What's that supposed to mean?” she asked in confusion.

“We are respectable businessmen. Maybe eventually, yes we _will_ have to kill people when the situation demands... but what you did... with entrails... it's not very _nice_ , is it? It's not very _civilised_ , Sis!”

As she sat there staring back at him in alarm, she blinked away tears.

“So you think our Dad's killer should have got away with it?”

“No,” Miles replied, shaking his head, then he glared at her, “But _most_ people in our situation would have waited a while then organised a revenge killing – or even better, done something unexpected like take evidence to the police! I told Calvin we should do that, make us look good for the old bill – but he called me a prick... He wanted to take the guy out later on. Discreetly.”

“But you must have wanted him dead, Bruv! Most people _would_ have done what I did!”

Miles shook his head again, then gave a sigh of despair.

“ _No, Sis!”_ he said angrily, _“Most people wouldn't have done what you did! Most people wouldn't have broken into his flat, cut off his face, gutted him like a fish and strung him up in the front room with his guts trailing out like something out of Silence of the bloody Lambs!”_

Her brothers had talked.

Calvin had made a call...

“Pack your stuff, you're leaving,” he had told her, “Tomorrow... You're taking a flight across the Atlantic. You'll like Gotham, it's a nice old city, lots of fine architecture -”

“With bullet holes in it!” Miles had exclaimed, “It was a war zone a few years back, it's so dangerous they took it off the map! You can't even get there by legal access, it's off limits!”

And Calvin had shot him a _shut-the-fuck-up_ look, smiling as he added, “You're staying with a friend of mine. Oswald Cobblepot, known as Penguin. He's a weapons dealer. He owns a very big slice of the city and he lives like a prince. I've seen his place on video calls. It's like a palace! Big high ceilings, grey marble walls...Maybe you and him will get along, Sis. Maybe you _might_ want to stay. Perhaps you could end up as the wife of a Gotham underworld boss.”

“I doubt she will!” Miles said, “He's a chubby bloke with a pointed nose and he walks with a limp, Sis. That's why he's called _Penguin!_ ”

“I'm not sure I wanna do this,” she had said doubtfully.

“The alternative,” Calvin explained, “Is sit around and wait to be arrested, or wait for Marmaduke's people to come round here and shoot _all_ of us. I don't want any excuses, Stacey,” rage had suddenly burned in his eyes, _“YOU'RE GETTING ON THAT FUCKING PLANE!”_

 

Calvin's angry words rang in her ears as the taxi stopped and she woke up, sitting upright with a jolt. She looked out of the window. _Oh yes, she remembered now_... after the long flight, she had a couple of vodkas before she got a taxi. But jet lag and vodka had made her feel twice as exhausted. Now the skies were growing dark and the taxi had pulled up by water... and it wasn't the Thames. Stacey blinked a few times and then recalled she wasn't in London any more. She had to go and wait for a boat, that boat would take her to the City of Gotham. She couldn't even see it from here, just water and in the distance past the place where above met with sea, rain clouds were darkening the evening skies to pitch as far off, mist rolled in.

She paid the driver and got out and then collected her suitcase. As she began to walk towards the dock, she didn't know she was being watched. Victor Zsasz stood there for a moment, watching as the short, slender woman in a tight yellow mini dress and high heeled shoes made dainty steps as she headed closer to the dock, wheeling her suit case behind her. She was wearing a short black jacket, it was padded, but more suitable for early fall than the cold weather in this place, at this time of year. Winter was on the way and Gotham, often rainy and damp, got very cold very quickly. He hoped she didn't freeze on the boat. She stood alone by the empty dock, looking small and pretty and fragile as the ends of her long ponytail whipped about on the strengthening breeze... _This delicate, tiny woman killed a mob boss?_ He was surprised. He was even more surprised when he met with her.

“Ms Ripper?” he said as he approached her, “I'm Victor Zsasz. Penguin sent me to escort you.”

As he reached her she looked up at him and smiled.

“Thanks, that was nice of him,” she said, then she looked about the dock, “Where's the boat?”

He looked down at her. It was _very_ surprising to think she could have taken someone out, anyone, she didn't seem the type...

“This way,” he said, “We can't use the main dock area. This is a private charter and it's not on the record, obviously.”

Then he led the way as she followed, wheeling her suitcase behind her.

 

Oswald had eagerly awaited the arrival of Stacey Ripper. The thought of meeting her, combined with the guilt he felt at using her image for self pleasure, had inspired him to do something special for her, she would not be returning to his home at City Hall in a car. For this occasion, he had decided on a much grander form of transport...

He stood before the mirror and inspected his appearance, then as Olga told him the carriage was ready, he turned away and limped towards the door, and as he stepped outside and took in the sight of the horse drawn Victorian carriage, he smiled as he straightened his shoulders and felt, just for a moment, like a prince. Although he doubted Stacey would see him that way, he allowed himself to dream as he limped towards the door of the carriage, silently practising in his head, going over the words he wanted to say on meeting her :

_I'm Oswald Cobblepot. Welcome to Gotham, Ms Ripper..._

 

The boat was a little bigger than a fishing vessel and sturdy enough to cut through the calm water easily. The skies were darker now, and as she stood on the deck and looked towards the distance, she saw rising mist and deepening darkness, but no sign of the city yet. She shivered. It was growing bitterly cold and her jacket was too thin.

“Are you okay?” Victor asked as he stood beside her. She shivered again as she nodded, her gaze still set on the dark horizon.

“I was wondering, if you're cold -”

She glanced at him and smiled warmly.

“Oh, that's really kind of you, Victor – but you can't give me your jacket, you'll bloody freeze!”

Victor looked at her in surprise.

“I was actually going to suggest, maybe you had a warmer coat in your suitcase?”

Her smile faded.

“Oh... no, I don't. I didn't know it was going to be this cold. I'll have to get one tomorrow.”

Then her phone rang and she took it from her pocket.

“Hello Miles!” she said, “It's bloody freezing here!... No, I'm not there yet, I'm on the boat.”

“I need to talk to you and this can't wait,” her brother replied.

She took another glance at Victor.

“Excuse me, I need to take this call...”

He shrugged and looked out across the vast expanse of water, the city would soon be in sight, he was almost home.

The boat rocked a little and Stacy wobbled in her heels as she stepped away and spoke into the phone.

“What's so important that it can't wait, Bruv?”

“You need to listen to this,” Miles said as tension crept into his voice, “Don't laugh and take the piss like Calvin does – I know something he doesn't and if I'm right, you need to be aware!”

Worry reflected in her eyes. Up ahead in the far distance, above the cloak of mist, she saw the tops of tall buildings and pinpricks of light glowing within. A city was looming closer as if rising out of the mist, a city that was partly brilliant and partly decayed, rising ever higher as the boat advanced, as if looming up out of the sea like Leviathan...

“Sis, are you there?”

She shivered again as the cold cut through her.

“Yeah, I'm here. What were you going on about, Bruv?”

“ _Listen, Stacey!”_

“I'm listening!”

“It's like this,” Miles said, “Many years ago, our late grandmother told me a story that her grandmother heard from her great grandmother...”

“And what does this have to do with me?” she said, feeling confused.

“Just shut up, Sis...I'm trying to work it out... anyway, I think it means this is about our great, great, great, great grandfather. I'm not good at working out the exact amount of generations, but I knew it was linked the moment I found out what you did to Marmaduke. I have a contact who can access police evidence and he sent me a picture of the crime scene...then I knew for sure!”

Stacey's eyes clouded with confusion.

“Knew what?”

“Our... _very_ great grandfather did the same kind of thing. But he didn't do it out of justice, he was a sick twisted bastard. _He was Jack the Ripper_.”

She staggered as the boat rocked and she laughed out loud.

“What the bloody hell are you going on about, Miles?”

His voice became inpatient.

“Shut up and listen, I'm serious! His name was Jack Ellis Fernsby!”

“How do you know he was Jack the Ripper?” she said, feeling weary of her brother's stupid theory already.

“Well, he lived in Finchley with his wife and kids.”

“And that has nothing to do with anything.”

“ _But he owned a slaughterhouse in Whitechapel. And he wore a leather apron because he liked to get hands on with the chopping up, even though he owned the business!_ The coppers pulled him in more than once to question him over the Ripper killings. And after the final Ripper murder, he got out of Whitechapel. _Do you know what happened to him?_ ”

She gave a shiver and wanted to blame the cold. The dock was in sight now, and light rain had started to fall. She could see shapes and shadows there in the distance, but fog was falling and they were veiled in mist.

“Obviously I _don't_ know because you're the one telling me this, Miles!”

“He sold up his business and moved to Southgate and started a new business... And he changed his last name to Ripper, which apparently, he found very amusing. Now, this is the significant part – while the killings were going on in Whitechapel, the killer had sent a message to the police, and what he said in that letter was the same thing Jack used to say every morning to his wife before he went to work at his new slaughterhouse.”

“What exactly did he say to his wife in the mornings?” she asked in a hushed voice.

He hesitated.

“Well,I don't know _exactly_ what was said _every_ morning, I mean, it was Victorian times, people were very sexist back then, he probably said _Fetch my breakfast wench,_ or something like that...”

She rolled her eyes.

“No, you idiot – I meant, what did he say that was so significant?” she demanded.

“Apparently, he used to say the same thing that was in the Ripper's letter. He would say to his wife, _My knife's_ so _nice and sharp,_ _I want to get to work_.”

She thought of the words that had run through her head and felt sweet as wine as the blood had flowed. He didn't hear her give a gasp as he continued:

“You killed Marmaduke like the Ripper killed his victims, Sis. He … _played with their guts_ as well. I think what ever made him kill those innocent women has somehow developed and refined, rebooted, if you like – through the generations. And it's come out in _you_. Maybe not as something evil, I mean, you used it to take revenge. Just be aware it's always with you, Sis. I know I'm right.”

She drew in a breath as she shivered again.

“I believe you,” she whispered as she thought about the night of the murder, “Bloody hell, Miles... this is bad!”

“Maybe not,” he replied, “You're my little sister, you're _not_ evil! But you can be, if you have to be. And for the record – and I'm only saying this because Calvin is down the pub – I'm glad you killed that bastard. You took revenge for our Dad. And I'm glad you're safe, you won't get caught now.”

The boat had reached the dock.

“I've got to go,” she said in a hushed voice, “I'll talk later.”

“Be careful Stacey. And never forget what I told you.”

She was still thinking about those words that had run through her head.

“I won't forget,” she whispered, then she ended the call.

“Ready to go?” asked Victor, and she nodded.

He noticed she looked pale and shaken, and as she reached for her suitcase, he took it for her and she thanked him.

 

Victor got off the boat first, then he held out his hand and she was glad of it as she stepped on to dry land, she was freezing and her legs were going numb as she walked through the rain and the fog towards the people standing by... _was that a carriage?_ She looked in surprise at the Victorian horse drawn carriage, it bore a silver emblem of an open umbrella. Then a man stepped forward, accompanied by an armed gunman who held his umbrella as the man beneath it sheltered from the light rain. Stacey looked up at him, and what she saw came as a surprise. Despite her brother's description, he was rather handsome... He was taller than her, in a dark suit and a long coat with a thick fur collar, he wore a top hat and his pale eyes shone with warmth as he smiled and extended a gloved hand.

“I'm Oswald Cobblepot. Welcome to Gotham, Ms Ripper,” he said.

“It's nice to meet you, Mr Cobblepot,” she replied with a smile.

As she shook his hand, he felt quietly pleased that he had made such a good first impression. Then he noticed she was shivering and as he thought about how he had used her picture in such a crude manner, he couldn't help what he said next.

“Please, call me Oswald. _And I apologise_.”

He gave her a tight, nervous smile.

She shivered again and looked at him in confusion.

“What for?”

“The awful weather!” he exclaimed, “Here, take my coat.”

He took off his coat and threw it around her shoulders. It was too big for her, it swamped her tiny frame as she looked up at him and smiled again. He smiled back at her. Now she felt very sure her brother had been wrong about Oswald. He did walk with a limp, but it did nothing to take away the fact that he was a very attractive man...

“Come with me,” he said, “Let's get out of this rain.”

Suddenly she wasn't so uneasy about staying in this city any more. She was yet to get to know Oswald Cobblepot, but from the moment their eyes had met, she had felt an undeniable warmth pass between them. She exchanged another smile with Oswald, then followed him to the waiting carriage.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 

The ride back to City Hall was certainly a new experience for both of them. Stacy's feet barely touched the carriage floor and as she moved to sit more comfortably whilst wrapped in Oswald's coat, the carriage went over a bump and she struggled to stop herself from falling. Oswald leaned over and placed a hand on her shoulder as she struggled with legs numb from the cold, finally crossing them just as he sat back in his seat. She was feeling awkward because she had almost fallen head first into his lap, and he was forcing a smile as he looked away, fleeing bad about the fact that he had briefly seen a flash of her underwear - and he was thankful the carriage interior was dim, because he was bushing fiercely.

“Where's my suitcase?” she said suddenly.

“Victor loaded it up before he got in the car,” Oswald replied, and then she recalled Victor had left with the gunman who had held the umbrella, driving off before the carriage had left. But above the carriage, the driver and his companion were both visibly armed, it seemed they had adequate protection as they rode thought the city streets and the rain fell harder. Oswald met her gaze and as she looked at him, sitting there in his top hat and his immaculate suit, it struck her how regal he looked.

“How was the journey?” he asked politely.

“It was okay,” she replied, and pulled his coat about her tighter as the last of the chill made her shiver again. Oswald noticed that shiver, she looked so small and fragile and didn't doubt the cold had gone straight to her bones. Looking at her, he couldn't imagine her killing anyone - and he wanted to ask her about it, but now was not the time. She was cold and tired and … _He wanted to make her warm again._ That thought was instinct and most unexpected, to imagine wrapping his arms around her while the fire blazed protecting her from the cold and the dark and all the evils in this corrupt city.

“Gotham is not like London,” he said to her, “It can at times, be a very savage place,” and he smiled, “But you will be very safe at City Hall.”

She looked back at him, returning his smile as recollections at the back of her mind hovered of the knife and how easy it had been to take out the man who had killed her father. She didn't need protection, she was sure of it. But she wanted it. Looking at Oswald, she felt instinctively that she wanted to get closer. He was so regal, so... _otherworldly_ , as if he had stepped out of an old painting or a faded Victorian photograph. He fascinated her, and she liked that. He was unlike any one she had ever met before...

“Do you live alone, or do you have family?” she asked.

He looked back at her, wrapped in his coat as the fur trimmed collar framed her delicate features.

“I share my home with a close friend, Edward Nygma. He assists me with the running of my empire. And there's Olga the housekeeper and Edward, my dog. That's all, I have no spouse or children.”

She caught sadness in his gaze, a deep sadness that affected her as she realised Oswald was lonely.

“I'm surprised,” she said, “A man like you – I mean, someone attractive and successful, you look like you could own the whole city!”

He smiled as he sat up with his shoulders back, feeling a glow of pride to receive such a compliment. It was a shock, too – she had flattered him, yet when he had looked at her, he saw honest eyes. He knew when a person was lying, he had learned to spot it years ago... _Stacey thought he was attractive?_ He felt quietly pleased as they carried on talking.

“Thank you for such kind words,” he said as a sparkle came to his eyes, “But no, I am quite alone. I've had many years to get used to that. I never found love but I certainly found success. Perhaps to want both is too much to ask!” and he laughed, making light of the painful truth that had just slipped out of his mouth.

“Were you born in Gotham?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied, “My Mother was a wonderful lady. Sadly she died during an underworld dispute. She died in my arms...” he looked downward as the carriage rode towards home, feeling awkward as he blinked away tears, he had not meant to show such a vulnerable side, getting tearful as he recalled his mother's death, but talking to Stacey was surprisingly easy. Looking into her eyes, something long since closed up in his heart felt like it was daring to open up again, like a rusted old door slowly creaking ajar to let in a ray of light.

 

By the time they reached City Hall the rain had stopped. Oswald got out of the carriage first, grasping firmly at the open door as he leaned on it and stepped down, hoping she wouldn't notice how painfully he had limped as he turned around and held out a gloved hand to assist her. She took his hand and stepped from the carriage, and their gaze met and she felt a pull towards him. Oswald saw the look in her eyes, and it startled him as he smiled nervously and gestured to the entrance. Lights glowed within, promising warmth and comfort.

From the moment she stepped inside his vast palace, she felt at home. It was an instant warmth and sense of welcome, and she was sure that was down to the fact that she had instantly liked the man who now stepped behind her, briefly placing gentle hands on her shoulders as he drew back his coat, then he paused to take off his gloves and his hat. She looked in fascination at the sight of his glossy black hair, styled into elaborate spikes.

“This is Olga,” he said, “Olga, this is Stacey.”

She smiled at Olga, who glanced at her, nodded and then took his coat and hat.

“We will have some tea, please Olga....” he turned to Stacey, “Would you like something to eat? I know it's late but you have had such a long journey.”

Stacey smiled. Now the chill was gone, this place was warm and one glance told her it was indeed the palace her brother had described. She took off her jacket and handed it to Olga.

“Sounds good to me, Oswald!” she brightly, and as she smiled, he felt a flicker of nervousness at the sight of her in a dress that clung to her perfectly slender, yet shapely body. She liked him. She actually _liked_ him... _It was still sinking in. This was a new experience. He wanted to get closer to her, but didn't know how. He felt stuck..._

“This way, Stacey,” he said, and led her off down the hallway, towards a vast room with high ceilings and large pillars and grey marble walls, where a large fireplace housed a fire that blazed warmly.

 

An hour later, Stacey was sitting on a couch as Oswald sat beside her, and as she talked about home and her brothers and he talked about his own life here in Gotham, thanks to the warmth that had been instant between them, Oswald had started to relax. His dog had made a big impression on Stacey, who had made a big fuss of him and called him cute. Now Edward was relaxing, lying on his side as he dozed in comfort on a soft rug near the fireplace. Olga had made sandwiches and brought tea, and as Stacey looked at Oswald, the glow of the firelight seemed to wrap around them, the perfect moment for a kiss - and it hit her again that she was hugely attracted to this guy... But they barely knew each other. She finished her tea and set the cup down on the bone china saucer and as she met his gaze, her eyes danced with amusement.

“I knew we would get along from the minute I laid eyes on you, Oswald!”

Surprise registered in his gaze.

“How could you possibly know that?”

“I don't know, just a feeling...” she reached up and slipped the band from her pony tail, gave her head a shake and a cascade of dark hair fell past her shoulders like a river of dark silk. Oswald knew he was staring, and didn't stop as he took in the sight of her tattooed arms, partly draped by tendrils of long, soft hair. He envied the serpent and the birds in flight that adorned her arms. He wanted to touch her, to run his hands over her body... and he was certainly aroused, but sitting there politely, hiding it, making sure she couldn't spot the fact that he had an erection. The thought struck him that he could easily spend the rest of the night like this, sitting there, talking with her, feeling so... _nice_. He felt wanted and appreciated, too – and the way she looked at him as her eyes darkened with desire was a sure sign he was not mistaken. She _did_ want him, as much as he wanted her... As the fire glowed warmly, she shifted position on the seat, kicking of her shoes and drawing her legs up and tucking them comfortably beneath her as she leaned her head against the back of the seat and looked into his eyes.

“I used to dream of running the business back home with my brothers. Now I have to find new dreams. I'm sure I will, there's always something to aim for, isn't there?”

Oswald leaned back too, turning his head to meet her gaze as he became very aware of their closeness.

“I'm sure there is, for you,” he replied with a smile.

She had caught that flicker of sadness in his eyes again.

“Tell me about your dreams. What's your next ambition?” she asked.

He hesitated.

“I achieved my power and authority in this city at young age,” he told her, “I have nothing left to dream about.”

“There must be something.”

He looked away, into the firelight.

“ _No, not for me.”_

“You've got to have something to look forward to, everyone needs that,” she said softly.

He turned his head, meeting her gaze and their eyes locked and he felt his heart race, Stacey had felt it too, that magnetic pull towards this man who had just walked into her life, so unlike any other she had ever known...

“I've never known anyone like you, there's something... _different_ about you,” she told him.

“Different, how?” he asked.

“I don't know, you're... unique,” she said, and she laughed and he smiled as his face flushed.

“Well there is only one Penguin in this town!” he agreed.

“And I'm glad to get to know him,” Stacey replied.

They were so close, he wanted to kiss her. She looked into his eyes. He silently wished he could summon the courage to dare to... _What, live his dreams? He did still have a dream, to find someone to love, who would return his love in every way that he had always craved. But he couldn't voice it aloud and he couldn't kiss her, either. They had just met, he was afraid offending her if he leaned in any closer..._ But it was a perfect moment as Stacey cast her gaze over his spiked up hair and smiled, feeling bold enough to pay another compliment.

“You've got lovely hair, Oswald,” she said softly.

He said nothing in reply, looking into her eyes as he hoped she would read his expression. It felt magical, a perfect moment...

And then the perfect moment was gone as Ed walked into the room.

“Hello!” he said brightly, strolling up to the couch full of all the confidence that Oswald was only too aware he lacked, and he held out his hand.

“You must be Stacey! I'm Edward Nygma, call me Ed!”

She shook his hand and said hello, then as Ed let go, his smile faded as he looked at the scene before him:

Oswald, sitting comfortably on the couch, Stacey, curled up right next to him looking like she felt at home. They had shared supper and tea together and she had kicked off her shoes... _Oh no. The one time Oswald had actually hit it off with someone, he had walked in and wrecked the moment..._ He looked down at Oswald, who was still on the couch beside Stacey.

“Oh...I can see you're in the middle of a conversation... I won't interrupt you! I just looked in to say Hi... I'll see you both tomorrow, it's rather late and I just remembered have stuff to do before I grab some sleep...”

Ed gave him a quick glance full of apology, then said _Nice to meet you_ again to Stacey, and left the room. Oswald felt stunned as it sunk in that Ed had left the two of them alone because he had sensed some kind of connection between them, then a sparkle came to his eyes: Ed would not be a threat to his secret hopes and dreams. And he _did_ have a dream now, it had just dawned on him – he wanted to get closer to Stacey and maybe, now Ed had just made that gesture, he would get his chance...

But then Stacey got up and picked her shoes up from the floor.

“I'm really tired,” she said, “The flight, the boat...it's been a long day. But it's been lovely getting to know you, maybe we can talk some more tomorrow? I'd like that.”

“I would like that too,” he replied with a smile, then he got up stiffly and hoped it didn't show that his damaged leg was aching as he led her from the room towards the staircase, and said he would show her to her room.

 

As they went up the stairway, he hoped his limp wasn't too pronounced as he felt the strain on aching and damaged joints as he made the climb. Stacey took the stairs so easily and this only made him feel more self conscious, limping so stiffly. They reached the top and he led her a doorway that was open. Her suitcase had been left inside. She lingered in the doorway, and he stood there, looking at her as he longed to hold her.

“Goodnight, Oswald,” she said softly, and as she said that, she wished they had met elsewhere – a bar, or a party. If they had, neither would have been waking up alone in the morning... maybe that would be something to say, as a joke, it might encourage him to get closer... but not tonight. Right now, she wanted to sleep and it was incredibly sweet that he looked nervous, as if expecting to feel obliged to kiss her...

“Goodnight, Stacey,” he said fondly, and then he thought about kissing her, pictured it in his mind and turned and limped away quickly, in the direction of his own room.

Stacey closed the door and looked around. This room was beautiful. A big, soft bed looked inviting and the furnishings were all luxurious, too. She went over to a window with velvet drapes and looked out, taking in the sight of the gloomy city by nightfall. The streets were almost empty, it was dark and the few street lights that worked glowed an eerie orange. In the distance, she heard an exchange of gunfire, then she closed the drapes and placed her shoes on the floor, left her case by an antique dresser and stripped off her dress, then got into bed in just her underwear. She was tired, the journey had been long and the company tonight had been so good she had ignored her exhaustion just to spend time with Oswald. Now she was here to stay, she hoped to be spending a lot more time with him. She fell asleep with a smile on her face. _More time with Oswald sounded like a great idea..._

 

When morning came, Oswald was up early and took his time grooming in front of the mirror after his shower, he styled his hair, put on cologne and after changing his tie three times, settled for a tie in shades of red that looked good against his black suit. Then he went downstairs for breakfast. Ed was at the table having morning coffee. Stacey was not there.

“Good morning,” said Ed, then he noticed Oswald seemed to be searching for something, or _someone_ , by that look in his eyes that reminded him of a lost puppy.

“I haven't seen Stacey all morning,” Ed remarked, “She's probably still in bed, she did have a long journey yesterday.”

“She's very nice,” Oswald added, “I do believe Stacey and I will be very good friends!”

Ed a caught the sparkle in his eyes and smiled.

“I think you and Stacey have a certain spark?”

Oswald smiled and looked downward as his face flushed.

Olga came in and fetched tea and breakfast and set it in front of Oswald, who thanked her and then met Ed's gaze. The look on his face said it all:

 _Yes, he was crazy about Stacey Ripper..._ The thought that Oswald had finally met someone he wanted to be close to – who seemed to be equally attracted to him – made Ed's heart feel warm. It was long over due, he deserved some romance in his life, it was the one thing that had remained elusive to him for many years...

“I hope we do have a spark,” Oswald replied, “I might be wrong...” he sipped his tea, falling silent as insecurity took over.

“You're not wrong. I spotted it last night, instant mutual attraction. Oswald, she's beautiful! You should spend some time with her today.”

“I have to go to my office -”

“I'll handle your business affairs. Focus on your personal life today,” he smiled brightly, “You never know where this could lead!”

“I suppose it doesn't do any harm to be optimistic. I'll take you up on that offer, Ed,” he replied, then he started breakfast and said no more, keeping his secret, fragile hopes and dreams silent – being around Stacey was an awkward blend of joy and nervousness...

 

Stacey didn't wake until gone eleven, then Olga had knocked, requesting to clean the room. Stacey had told her to come back in half an hour and then she had grabbed a shower and tipped her suitcase out on her bed, scattering everything as she decided on what to wear. While she slipped into a tight fitting black dress and comfortable flat shoes, she was thinking of Oswald. She dried her hair and let it fall free over her shoulders and down to her waist, then she added a thick black belt and put on some mascara and lip gloss. She stood in front of the mirror, paused to run her hand over her curves as she smiled and decided, yes, this was okay. The dress was not as short as the one she had worn yesterday and the fabric was thicker and if they went out, she wouldn't freeze...

She left her room and took a walk down the hallway, then she went down the staircase and after wandering the halls, found the dining room. It was empty. She carried on walking, found the kitchen and went inside. While Olga was upstairs, looking in horror at the mayhem left behind in her room – Stacey's clothing was everywhere, as if her suitcase had exploded – Stacey was still in the kitchen, frying eggs and bacon, then she put it in a sandwich, made some tea and left the kitchen once more, eating the sandwich as she made her way back along the hallway, sandwich in one hand, cup of tea in the other.

“Stacey?”

She heard Oswald's voice and turned to see him in the doorway of a nearby room. She finished her sandwich as she joined him.

“I got up late. I missed breakfast, so I made my own. I hope that's okay.”

“It's fine with me,” he told her with a smile, “Did you sleep well?”

“Very well,” she replied as he led her into a comfortable room where the walls were marble and light streamed in through a tall window. This room was smaller than the one she had seen last night, it had comfortable seating and a coffee table and looked more intimate, but the ceiling was high and the drapes at the window matched the grand style of the furnishings. She sat down close to a small fireplace where flames burned low and glowing and he limped over to the painting on the wall and gestured to it.

“This is Gertrud Kapelput, my late mother,”

She looked up at the picture and then glanced to Oswald.

“Your Mum was an attractive lady. Where's your Dad?”

Sadness shaded his gaze as he stood by the fireplace.

“Passed away many years ago.”

“I'm sorry,” she told him, “I lost my mum quite young too. I was twenty, she died in an accident. She was on holiday with my Dad, they'd been out. She was a bit drunk and she slipped on some steps and fell, broke her neck. Then Dad was killed recently in a shooting. It's just me and my brothers left now.”

“I don't have siblings,” Oswald replied, “It was always just Mother and I.”

They looked at each other and for a moment the only sound that could be heard was the crackle of firelight, then she shifted over on the sofa and he read her invitation right, and limped over quickly with a big smile on his face as he sat beside her.

“It is good to have company,” he told her, “Especially company as pleasant as yours.”

“I like you too, Oswald,” she told him warmly.

They were still looking at each other. Stacey had realised by now that Oswald was very shy, painfully so – and would need a bit of help here because they both knew liking each other went a bit deeper than that, it had at first glance...

She felt unusually shy as she prepared to say the words she hoped would bring him closer, and she laughed softly as she looked downward, then she tossed her hair off her shoulder and turned to him.

“I reckon if you had walked into my brother's nightclub back in London and I'd met you there, we would have left together.”

He felt as startled as he looked, but only for a brief moment. Then he smiled as he blushed and gave a small nod.

“I don't doubt that would be likely, Stacey.”

Now he felt caught between awkwardly freezing up or being brave and taking this a step further.

“I own a club called the Iceberg Lounge,” he told her, “perhaps we could go there tonight, if you would like that?”

She could feel the heat coming off him as if he was burning up with desire, it showed in his pale eyes, too – they were darkening as his pupils expanded. And she knew she was so wet she felt sure if she parted her legs, he would catch the scent of it...

“I would love to do that,” she said, and she leaned in as he stiffly waited as she helped him out, leaning all the way closer and kissing him softly. It was just one kiss, their lips had met and then it was over, but as she drew back she was aching for him and he had to shift awkwardly on the seat to hide the fact that he was aroused again.

“We can leave around eight pm,” he said, getting up quickly as his damaged leg ached sharply, “I must go now, Stacey – I have some business to attend to.”

He limped quickly out of the room. Stacey smiled as she watched the firelight dance and she relaxed on the sofa. She slid her hand over the seat where he had been sitting, it still felt warm. She wanted to be warm beside him, lying close, side by side, skin to skin contact... Suddenly eight pm seemed too long to wait to see him again and she gave a sigh, feeling aroused and romantically soft and glowing, along with a hint of amusement – she had never expected her actions back in London to lead to something like _this_ happening in her life!

 

Down a narrow, grimy street far from the luxury of City Hall, it was business as usual for the man who had opened up his tiny store. Within, it was dimly lit, Outside, armed guards stood with guns visible. When the beaded curtain that hung over the doorway was drawn back and an elegantly dressed man with piercing eyes and hair flowing to his shoulders stepped in alone, he looked up from the table where he sat, glancing behind him but seeing none of his men. He always had an armed guard present when making a deal...

“No, your men are not present. I asked them to wait outside, and of course, they did,” he said, walking over to the table and looking down at the nervous man who sat there, looking up at him and recognising Jervis Tetch... _What was Tech doing here? This wasn't his territory..._

“I have a job for you,” said Tetch.

The dealer looked up at him uneasily.

“I think you have the wrong guy, Mr Tetch.”

Tetch sat down, looking hard into his eyes.

“You are Mr Ryley Page?” he enquired.

The man who sat there with dark hair tied back in a ponytail nodded, breaking into a sweat as he felt the gaze of Tetch bore past his eyes and into his brain.

“Then I have found the right person,” Tetch confirmed, and he whipped his watch from his jacket and opened it up. _Tick, Tick, Tick..._

“Now,” said Tetch, “Let me tell you the situation. It doesn't matter if I tell you because you will not repeat anything I say. Nod your head to confirm.”

Ryley felt trapped, unable to call his guards, unable to resist as he felt like his eyes had been nailed to the sight of that watch. _Tick, Tick, Tick._ He nodded, as if he was a puppet and invisible strings were being pulled. Tetch continued:

“I sense... change is on the wind. Penguin has realised my little game. I've been taking advantage of a business deal and I don't expect the meeting scheduled next week will go well at all for me. So I'm going to kill Edward Nygma before I carry out the rest of my plans. He is a frequent visitor to your establishment, to purchase his recreational drugs. Next time you see him you will give him these instead of the usual pills,” he placed a small bag on the table and slid it over, “And as soon as he leaves, you will put your gun in your mouth and pull the trigger. We can't have any lose ends here. You will now forget me and the plan until Edward Nygma pays a visit.”

Ryley's hand seemed possessed by another as he took the pills and slid them out of sight under the desk. The watch was holding his attention. _Tick, Tick - Snap._ Tetch had closed the watch and got up, turning for the door. Ryley blinked, feeling disoriented. The beaded curtain was swaying, yet he was sure no one had come in...

As he stepped outside, Tetch glanced at the two armed men.

“Forget me,” he commanded, and then he walked off quickly, swallowed up by the busy street, into the anonymity of the crowd.

 

Edward Nygma was strolling down the narrow street feeling good. And he would feel even better tonight, it had been a week since he had last indulged and he felt like taking some time off... Drop into Cherry's, have a few drinks, maybe find some attractive company, and then home to pop some pills and have some great sex...Girls loved Riddler. They took one look at his dazzling smile and the sight of him in that green suit and they queuing round the block for him! Sometimes one night stands left him feeling empty inside, but any company was better than none. He had lost Kristen and Isabella. Not having a relationship with Oswald was a deep regret he had learned it live with. And none of that mattered after a few drinks and some great quality pills, at least he felt as if he was having a good time... And because this dealer was on Oswald's turf he could get his pills for free. Life didn't get any better than that...

The guards stepped aside when he reached the doorway, Ed Nygma was one of the most powerful men in this territory, controlling everything along with Penguin – their presence would not be needed.

“The usual please, Ryley!” Ed said brightly.

Ryley looked up at him as in his mind, the watch ticked. He reached under the counter, closing his hand over the bag left by Tetch, then he placed it on the table. He wanted to warn him but words would not come. He felt like a puppet again as he smiled, nodding as Ed took up the bag and said he would see him next week. Then Ed left, and Ryley sat there for ten whole minutes as he wondered what else he was supposed to do. Ah, yes. It came to him: _He drew out his gun, put it in his mouth and pulled the trigger. Blood and brains spattered the wall._

 

As night fell, light snow had started to fall in tiny, drifting flakes. Inside the Iceberg Lounge, it was warm and Stacey was glad of it, she had put on another black dress for the occasion – this one was shorter and the fabric was thinner, but it was pretty and hugged her body, she had left her hair to hang loose because she had noticed how Oswald had stolen glances, admiring the way it fell like a mane cascading down to her lower back. He had entered the club with her and paused to speak to staff, then led her over to a quiet table where they sat together and drinks were brought over.

“It's nice in here,” she said, looking about the place, “How long have you owned his club?”

“Too many years to recall,” he said as he laughed softly, “It makes a lot of money. One of my legitimate business interests that is still thriving...” he paused, looking downward as he was struck by a sudden thought, “I do hope my company isn't boring you. All I have to talk about is business...” he met her gaze again. She looked at him sitting there in that fir trimmed coat and top hat and she wanted to climb over the table and kiss him.

“You could never bore me!” she assured him and she slipped off her shoe and ran her foot up his damaged leg. Feeling that sudden sensation under the table gave him a jolt and he laughed nervously.

“That was unexpected!”

He paused, looking down into his glass, then he took a drink and set it down again, it was time to make a confession.

“I do believe our attraction is mutual.”

“It certainly is!” she replied, running her fingers though her hair as she looked at him with eyes darkening with desire.

Oswald hesitated.

“I have been in love several times,” he told her, “And it has never worked out. I've never had a proper relationship...I have never known true intimacy, Stacey.”

He had laid the facts out and now he was looking at her, waiting for a response. In that moment he felt sure she would never know how scared he was to admit that. She looked back at him in surprise.

“Never?”

“Never,” he confirmed.

“But you want to...?

“Of course I do, I just hope this doesn't make you feel uncomfortable!”

Stacey felt surprised. Not shocked, but just very surprised that this tough, charismatic man had gone so far through life and never had sex. _Oswald was a virgin?_

She raised her glass and sipped from it.

“That's okay,” she said to him with a smile, “It doesn't put me off at all. Like I said, we would have gone home together if we'd met in a club back home. _Tonight we will._ ”

“Because we live under the same roof!” he remarked with a nervous laugh.

“ _Because I'm taking you to bed,”_ she replied, and as surprise registered in his eyes along with a dark gleam of lust that told a thousand stories of years of frustration, she reached across the table and held his hand.

“We're never going to forget tonight,” she promised him softly.

Excitement shone in his eyes. He hoped they would leave early, if she didn't suggest it he would – he was more than ready for this, and it felt so right to he with her. They were on their first drink and he was aching and so hard now, if he wasn't so shy he would have remarked that if they didn't go to bed soon he would be tipping the table, his cock was so hard...

 

Over at Cherry's bar, it was a busy night. The place was packed and Ed had already run into Lee Tompkins, who had spoken with him briefly and then walked away, Lee was his ex and every time he saw her she made it clear she had no intention of trying again. He stood at the bar drinking slowly, saying Hi to friends who then went off and left him again, and for a brief awful moment, he wondered if he was going to feel sharply alone tonight, and go home by himself. That was something he couldn't bear on a night out, because it reminded him there was no one special in his life. He reached into his pocket, feeling the small bag of pills he had picked up earlier. Maybe he should pop one now, he thought, at least a buzz would lift his mood, and Ryley sold good shit, he always got a great high from his pills... He drew one out of the bag. Then someone tapped his shoulder and said _Hi Mr Riddler._ He drew his hand out of his pocket and turned around to see a tall, attractive woman standing there with short blonde hair and a red lipstick smile.

“I remember when you used to do your game show,” she remarked, “You haven't changed. Still hot, I see!”

He smiled warmly.

“Thanks for the compliment, Miss...”

“Call me Tina,” she replied.

“Would you like a drink, Tina?” he asked.

She flashed a smile in reply. Ed started to smile too. _Now he had a plan, a couple more drinks and then take Tina back home where they could have a great night. He hoped she did pills, too, because he had some good stuff in his pocket thanks to Ryley. Even if she didn't do them, he would, and he would be high and hard all night. Perhaps tonight would work out better than he had first hoped... He knew that look in her eyes, she liked the look of Riddler and she wanted to get her hands on him. Tonight would be wild..._

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 

Oswald had not had to wait long to take Stacey by the hand and lead her to the door of the club. After two drinks, he had asked her if she wanted a third and she had said, _Maybe you should call Victor and tell him to bring the limo back..._

He had called Victor.

They had left the club.

Now they were together on the back seat as the car headed for home. Victor had only looked around briefly, hearing a soft thump – to see Penguin's hat on the floor. His boss had his arm wrapped around Stacey, he was kissing her deeply and she climbed on to his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck and they kissed again.

He turned away, looking to the road. All he could hear was kissing and heavy breathing. Suddenly Penguin spoke up, telling him to drive slowly, and could he please put the screen up?

“Sure, boss...” he said, and as he activated the screen, he glanced back to see Penguin looking flushed and breathless as Stacey shifted back, her panties fell to the floor and his boss tugged impatiently on his zip. The screen slid up and closed, putting a barrier between the driver and the rest of the vehicle. Victor focussed on the road again.

In the back, Oswald was breathing hard as he freed his erection, then he pulled her closer as she sat astride him, and seeing a flicker of apprehension in his eyes, Stacey kissed him. Then he gave a gasp as she guided him into tight, warm wetness, sinking down on to him, taking every inch of his thick length as she gave a low moan of pleasure. He panted hard, putting shaking hands on her hips as he moved with her, thrusting as she rode him. It was finally happening, he was making love for the first time and it felt amazing...

“ _Oh Stacey...”_ he gasped, _“Oh fuck, yes!”_

She silenced him with a kiss, running her fingers through his hair.

“ _You're so gorgeous, Oswald!”_ she whispered, and she kissed him again. He held her tighter, thrusting hard, deeper, feeling on the edge already.

“ _I'm going to...”_ Words failed him as he came hard and gave a sharp gasp, leaning back against the soft leather interior as she slid down and held him there throbbing inside her. His eyes were glazed as he opened them again and raised his head.

“I do believe I love you!” he panted, and as she kissed him in reply, she felt her heart hammering as she breathed heavily.

“I feel the same way,” she whispered, still joined to him as she sat there on his lap, running her fingers through those soft, silky spikes that she couldn't resist touching, “I love you, too, Ozzie.”

As she separated from him and got off his lap and snatched up her panties, he hastily tied his clothing and grabbed his hat – they were almost home now. As she sat down beside him, their hands joined and he turned his head and looked into her eyes.

“We're almost home. Coming to bed, Stacey?” he asked softly.

She smiled as love shone in her eyes, she didn't need to think about the answer.

“Of course I am!” she replied, and leaned in and kissed him again.

The car came to a stop. Victor got out first, then opened up the passenger door. Oswald got out stiffly, his face was flushed and he looked very, very pleased with himself.

“Thank you, Victor,” he said, then he held out his hand and Stacey took hold of it as she got of the car, then as Victor leaned in to close the door he noted the air inside was thick with the scent of Penguin's sweat and expensive cologne and Stacey's perfume, a hint of booze.... and sex. _Wow, the boss had finally done it!_ He smiled as he closed the passenger door. He was genuinely happy for Penguin, he had seen the way he and Stacey looked at each other, it had been there from the minute they first laid eyes on each other. It was about time he found someone, his boss deserved some happiness...

 

Oswald had hurried inside, called to Olga and told her he and Stacey were not to be disturbed under any circumstances, then he had taken her by the hand, leading Stacey up the stairs towards his bedroom. He was sure he had never felt so happy. Now he knew what he had missed out on all these years, and he intended to make up for lost time. He didn't even care about the ache in his damaged leg as he limped up the staircase, and when they reached the bedroom he led her inside, locked the door and took her straight over to his bed, where he pulled her down with him, on to soft covers as they rolled in a gentle embrace and kissed again. Stacey kicked off her shoes, then Oswald sat up, apologising as he reached for his leg brace. Stacey got off the bed and knelt at his feet, looking up at him.

“I'll do it for you,” she said, and she helped him remove the brace and then his shoes.

As he began to undress he felt a flicker of nervousness.

“I am a little overweight,” he mentioned as he took off his shirt then unbuckled his belt, I hope that's okay...”

She helped him strip off, then she took off her dress and flung it to the floor and joined him on the bed, casting off her bra and embracing him naked as they kissed again. Then she drew back and ran her hands over his shoulders, down his chest, over old scars.

“ _I like your body,”_ she whispered as she ran her hand over a small roll of fat and caressed his belly, _“There's nothing wrong with being a chubby penguin, Ozzie...”_

He was hard again and wanted to make the most of that. His confidence was rapidly soaring as he turned her on her back and as she wrapped her legs around his waist, he struggled for a brief moment to position his damaged leg, and then as desire shone in his eyes he met her gaze, speaking in a low voice.

“I want to take you hard!” he said, and thrust into her as she cried out.

She clung to him as he kissed her mouth, then her throat, then her breasts, then thrust hard and fast against her, finding the passionate, brutal movements as he possessed her felt right. Clearly, he was going to be quite a dominant lover and that suited him just fine – and Stacey was getting close to orgasm now. She reached down, her fingers sliding into her own wetness as she rubbed desperately, and as she came hard, he panted as he buried deep inside her, coming for a second time.

They were both exhausted as they separated and then lay together, gently embracing as they looked at each other. Oswald had never felt happier and he was sure it showed on his face as he gave her a radiant smile.

“That was incredible!” he exclaimed.

“You were incredible,” Stacey said softly, reaching up to push sweat soaked hair from his eyes, “My passionate Ozzie.”

“Is that your name for me now, Ozzie? I like that.”

She gazed into his eyes, feeling sure everything that had ever taken place in her life had conspired with fate to make this moment happen.

“You're my Ozzie,” she confirmed “And I love you.”

“I love you too, I am so thankful I found you,” he said softly, then he pulled her closer, closing his eyes as they rested warm in the afterglow of their lovemaking, and soon after they fell asleep quickly, spending their first ever night together.

 

While Oswald and Stacey slept, Ed had just returned, entering the building via a back door and leading giggling Tina up the maze of corridors, until they reached the kitchen area. As they walked in Ed stopped, looking in surprise at Victor, who was leaning against the kitchen counter as he drank a glass of champagne.

“What are you doing, that's Oswald's booze!”

“I'm just celebrating on behalf of the boss,” he said with a smile.

Ed let go of Tina's hand and went over to join him, keeping his voice low.

“What's going on? He hasn't declared war on Tetch, has he?”

“Nothing of the sort!” Victor put down his glass, then placed a hand on Ed's shoulder as he launched into a bemused description of the events that had unfolded:

“Tonight, Ed, while you were out, Oswald took Stacey on a date,” he announced, “And on the way back, somewhere on the five minute drive between the junction that leads from the club to City Hall, as the air in the back of the limo hung thick with sweat, booze and costly cologne, Penguin very passionately – _and very quickly_ – lost his virginity!”

Ed stared at him.

“ _Seriously?”_

“And then him and Stacey went off upstairs together. The boss told Olga they are not to be disturbed by anyone. I'm just having a drink to celebrate. Those two are crazy about each other. I'm happy for him.”

“So am I!” Ed exclaimed, “It's about time he found someone!”

Then he snatched up the open champagne, swiping it from Victor as he turned away.

“And now I have business of my own to take care of! What's your favourite show, Tina?” he asked playfully.

Her eyes shone with delight.

“The Riddle Factory!” she said excitedly, then he put his arm around her and they walked away, heading for the stairs.

As he watched Ed walk off with his latest conquest Victor shook his head as he smirked, _The Riddle Factory? He was still getting laid off the back of that, after all these years?_ It seemed his criminal reputation did nothing to win him attention, but the game show host thing? It was like some kind of weird aphrodisiac...

 

Ed hurried up the stairs, leading Tina far down the hallway, then around another corner, and when they reached his room, he flung open the door and pulled her inside and kissed her as they stood together in a room decorated with antique furniture. The walls and drapes were in shades of green, and the rug was covered in question marks. He had a disco ball hanging from the ceiling and it started to turn sending showers of lights playing about the walls.

“Welcome to _Chez Riddler_!” he declared, and he grabbed a remote and hit a button. Soft music began to play as he took off his jacket and tossed it on to a couch, then began to strip off his shirt as she got on to the bed and kicked off her shoes and then unzipped her dress. By the time she was taking off her underwear, he was naked and she paused to take in the sight of his upper body, inked with riddles in fancy scroll and a question mark in the centre of this chest. He paused to reach for a small bag that he drew from his cast off jacket, and he held it up, giving a playful wave with the bag.

“Wanna get high?”

“Yes please!” she said, and as he leapt on the bed to join her, she giggled. He kissed her again, then drew a pill from the bag and put it in her mouth.

“You first, honey. Enjoy...”

Then he left the bag next to the bed. He needed to be inside her, it couldn't wait, he could pop a pill right afterwards...

She turned over. He took her from behind. He slid in with ease and closed his eyes as he gave a sigh of satisfaction, then he gripped at her hips and started to fuck her quickly as she gasped and moaned and suddenly she was gripping at the pillow, thrashing about like crazy...

“ _Oh yes!”_ he gasped, _“Multiple orgasm! You're welcome, honey!”_ And he pounded harder, losing control after several more hard, excited thrusts.

“ _Oh dear, that was crazy!”_ he said breathlessly, letting go of her hips. And she slumped down, roughly disconnecting from him as he recovered his breath. She was still face down. She wasn't moving. _Or breathing..._

“Tina?” he said, and grabbed her shoulder, turning her over. Blood tinged foam was frothing from her mouth and she was bleeding out on to the pillow. Her dead eyes looked past him lifelessly. He gave a gasp.

“Oh no!” he said in horror, and reached for his pants quickly.

 

Ed dashed from the bedroom in panic, hurrying past Oswald's closed door – he did not need to hear about this tonight, not after him and Stacey getting together. He ran down the stairs and headed for the kitchen.

“ _Victor, she's dead!”_

Not wanting to cancel his celebratory drink, Victor had opened another bottle of champagne and had poured another glass, but he set it down again on hearing those words as he stared at Ed, who stood there in the doorway with his shirt off, eyes wide with panic.

“Who died?”  
“Tina, the girl I brought home...” Ed ran his fingers thought his hair and shook his head, “I'm certain it wasn't me... But, I _can_ be very mind blowing in bed – she just started thrashing around, maybe it _was_ death by orgasm!”

Victor rolled his eyes.

“You're so good in bed she couldn't take it? In your dreams, Ed.”

“We need to check the cause of death together...” Ed drew in a tight breath, “I am _so_ freaked out! I was having sex with her, I thought she was coming,not dying! I just carried on, I didn't know she was dead!”

“And Penguin really doesn't need to know about this until morning,” Victor reminded him, “Show me this body, and try and chill, Ed! I'm sure it was nothing you did!”

“I know I didn't kill her, my hands were on her ass, not around her throat!” he exclaimed as they left the kitchen together.

 

By the time they returned to the bedroom, after turning off the revolving disco ball and turning the lights up bright, the cause of death was clear: The dead woman's throat was eaten away by a corrosive substance leaving blood and fluid leaking out. Ed looked to the pills next to the bed.

“ _I gave her a pill.”_

“Did you take any?”

Ed shook his head.

“I was too impatient to get started... _Why_ would Ryley sell me poison?”

Victor was wrapping the body in a sheet.

“Ryley sold it to you? He's a regulated dealer, he's never put a foot wrong in Penguin's territory...”

Rage flickered at the back of Ed's gaze.

“Someone wants me dead.”

“I'll get rid of the pills and the body,” Victor said, “And in the morning, you have to tell Penguin what happened. Someone's targeting you. Who have you upset, Ed?”

He shook his head.

“No one lately!” then another thought came to mind and he smacked his palm to his brow in frustration.

“Oh shit, I swore to Oswald I was off the drugs!”

Victor looked at him as he lifted the body.

“You'll just have to be honest.”

As he looked at the sight of the body wrapped in the sheet and still bleeding out, Ed shivered.

“I still can't believe I carried on thinking she was okay... she died while I was _inside_ her, Victor!”

“ _At least she died happy.”_

Ed glared at him.

“I'm too nauseated to appreciate your dark sense of humour at this time!”

“Sorry, but it seemed like a punchline begging to be used. Have a drink and stop freaking out - and think hard about who might be out to get you. I've got a body to get rid of.”

Victor left the room, carrying the body down the hallway and towards the stairs. Ed sat down heavily on his bed, looking with disgust to the stained pillow as he thought about it again, she had _died_ on him. As if that wasn't bad enough, he now had to own up to Oswald that he was still using, and that a dealer with a trusted reputation had sold him that poisonous, lethal junk. Oswald would be furious...

 

When morning came, sunshine came with it and shone brightly through the window of the bedroom as Oswald and Stacey lay side by side, facing each other, the covers up to their shoulders as their gaze met and they exchanged a look of love. There was something magical about waking like this to find dreams had become reality.

“I've never been so happy,” Oswald whispered softly, “I don't know what to do with all this happiness!”

“I know what you mean,” Stacey replied softly, “It's like we both got the same wish at the same time... I love you so much! I knew from the moment I first saw you.”

“I feel as if I've known you for a thousand years,” Oswald told her, “It's like I didn't need to know you for a long time to love you – in the past I've always loved those who grew close to me over time, but we just fitted together like -”

“Soul mates?” she suggested.

He smiled as joy shone in his eyes.

“Yes,” he replied, “I think that accurately describes it... I can suddenly see a brighter future, with us and our life together.”

“So can I,” she whispered, snuggling closer to him as she felt like they were the only two people in the whole world who ever knew the true meaning of love, if not the world certainly this city – they were wrapped in a magical bubble of joy that nothing could penetrate.

“I can see you and me living here together, loving each other, being happy, walking Edward together...” she laughed softly, “You never know, we might get married, have a couple of kids...would you like that, Ozzie?”

Surprise registered in his eyes. _She wanted to be his wife and have his children?_ He blinked away tears.

“I would love to do that!”

He stifled a sob and as she held him, he pressed his face against her shoulder, she stroked his hair, hearing his sobs as she became instantly concerned.

“What are you crying for?”

He raised his head and blinked tearfully.

“ _I just never thought I'd have the chance to do those things!”_

“Well you do have the chance, with me!” she assured him, then she brushed a tear from his face, “We deserve to be happy, you deserve those things as much as I do.”

“I am older than you,” he reminded her, “We may not have many years to do it all.”

She ran her fingers through his hair as she looked into her lover's eyes.

“Ozzie,” she said, “You're also an underworld boss – there could be a war tomorrow. You could die, I could die – or maybe we will both live for many years! And you don't look your age, maybe you never will.”

“I'm sure I will one day!” he replied.

“And I'll still love you,” she promised him, and sealed that vow with a kiss.

As she pulled back and looked into his eyes, he toyed with a strand of her long, dark hair as he made a confession.

“I am usually a very polite man, but when we make love, I get the urge to say such filthy, crude things!”

She laughed.

“So do it, Ozzie! Say what you want to say...” she pushed the covers off and began to trace a path of kisses down his body, _“Be dirty,”_ she whispered, “Don't hold back!”

And then she took his cock in her mouth and started to suck. Oswald turned on his back, catching his breath as he closed his eyes and lost all touch with the entire world as the sensation of being sucked so slowly and gently took over. He grabbed at handfuls of her hair, giving a gasp as she slid her mouth up and down his hardening length.

“ _Oh yes!”_ he gasped, _“Suck my cock, Stacey! Suck my cock and swallow my come! Fucking suck it!”_

Just to speak so crudely sent ripples of excitement through his body. This was all new and all so wonderful. He looked down at her, watching as he tightened his grip on her hair, holding it back as she sucked him.

“ _Take it all down, swallow it, be my cock_ _sucker!”_

She responded by sucking harder and he thrust upward, losing control as he came in her mouth. She sucked his come away and swallowed, taking every last drop as he lay there panting and breaking into a light sweat. Stacey kissed up his body and then she looked into his eyes.

“ _I love being your cocksucker, Ozzie.”_

“ _I feel I would like to... give you orders more often.”_

She ran her fingers through his hair.

“I'd do anything for you. I'd be your slave in the bedroom if you wanted it that way. I love it when you take control.”

“I'm going to take control of you right now and make you come,” he said.

He felt brave now, her words had been all the encouragement he needed as he leaned in, kissing her hard as he slipped his hand between her legs, caressing her firmly as he had seen her do to herself the night before. She grew hot and wet and as their kiss deepened, she moaned into his mouth as she came hard, soaking his fingers. As she lay in his arms, he ran his fingers through her hair, listening to the sound of her breathing as she recovered.

“Was that good, did you enjoy it?” he asked cautiously. She raised her head and smiled.

“That was wonderful!” she told him, “I love the way you touch me, Ozzie.”

He smiled proudly as he held her closer, joy radiating from his eyes as they lay together and he looked up at the high ceiling, feeling like a king. He had found love, he had become a lover, he had satisfied his partner. It was the kind of stuff he used to dream about, and now it was reality. He felt like nothing could spoil his happiness on this wonderful morning...

 

_That happiness was soon cut short by Ed's confession._

He had waited until after breakfast, then asked to speak to Oswald privately. Stacey knew that look, something had happened and it was business or underworld related, she could tell by the look in Ed's eyes. She had waited at the table and waited for Oswald to return to the room, knowing this was none of her business. If it had been a disagreement between her brothers back home, she would have gone out into the hallway and joined them, because she sensed tension in the air, and she was right.

“ _You did what?”_ Oswald fumed.

“I didn't know it was poison, someone's trying to kill me!” Ed snapped, “Clearly, _someone_ needs dealing with quickly. It could have been me taking that stuff last night instead of -”

“Instead of an innocent victim who you picked up!” Oswald said angrily, “I thought you'd stopped using drugs, you swore to me-”

“It was a moment of weakness,” Ed replied, “Don't tell me you've never had one of those!”

“Not for drugs, no I have not!” Oswald said sharply, “Perhaps too much alcohol when times get tough. Never illegal substances!”

As their quarrelling voices reached the dining room, Edward came over and sat by the table. The bulldog looked up hopefully at Stacey, and she leaned down and stroked his wrinkled head as she looked to the doorway, listening. It was hardly a private conversation with raised voices. She got what it was about: 

Ed had brought home a woman last night and she had taken some of Ed's drugs and died... poisoned drugs meant for Ed? What had he done to make an enemy capable of doing something like that? Everyone knew Ed worked alongside Penguin...was this a first step to threatening his hold on his territory, taking out Ed Nygma first? She had often heard of such tactics back home, usually in the days leading up to a full on gang war...take out the one closest to the gang leader, leaving them vulnerable and exposed...Then she thought about his private life. If he was in the habit of screwing around, maybe it was something more simple, like an angry husband of one of his lovers trying to kill him...

Edward gave a little whine. She looked down at him.

“What's the matter?” she asked.

The dog was on the verge of drooling as he looked to the table, then back at Stacey. She smiled.

“I don't think daddy lets you come in at meal times...I know what you want!”

She stood up and reached over to Ed's plate, then Oswald's, scraping left over breakfast on to her own plate, then she put it on the floor.

“All yours, Edward!” she said.

The dog started to eat the left over eggs and bacon and toast. Then Oswald came back into the room, walking stiffly with an angry look on his face that only got worse as his eyes widened and he glared at the sight of Edward eating scraps off a dinner plate on the floor, beside Stacey's seat at the table.

“What are you doing?” he demanded, “Edward doesn't eat scraps!”

Edward started to eat quicker, sensing his daddy might take the plate away. Stacey got up, buying the dog time as she joined Oswald away from the table.

“I was only giving him a little treat, look at him, he loves it!”

“And he's eating from a dinner plate!” Oswald exclaimed.

Stacey smiled.

“Well you like to give him the best, why not the best china, too?”

Oswald looked at Edward. The dog had cleared the plate and finished licking it. As he saw the happy look in his eyes, he couldn't help but allow the ghost of a smile to briefly twitch about his mouth, then he looked back at Stacey.

“I suppose this one incident won't harm his diet. But he mustn't have too many treats, Stacey! And he only has the best food!”

“So do you, I was feeding him _your_ left over best food,” she replied.

He smiled as his mood softened. Edward's eyes were shining brightly, he had clearly enjoyed that treat.

“You are forgiven,” Oswald said playfully and he limped closer, giving her a brief kiss, then as he drew back, his expression became serious as Ed joined them.

“Something has happened -”

“I heard,” Stacey replied, “So much for having a private chat and then standing out there shouting at each other!” she looked to Ed, “Someone poisoned your drugs? Where did you get them from?”

“Ryley, he's a trusted dealer.”

“Ryley Page sold you poison?” Oswald said in alarm, “He wouldn't have done that, he never sells the hard stuff, he's always careful where he gets his supplies from -”

“Maybe he didn't know,” Stacey pointed out, then she looked thoughtfully at Ed, “Have you been fucking around with a married woman? There might be a husband out there looking for revenge.”

Ed thought about it and shook his head.

“I tend to have casual flings and the girls I meet are single. I don't get mixed up in complicated affairs, Stacey. Hence the reason why I limit my romantic life to casual affairs.”

“You should never limit yourself. Why would you do that?”

Ed shot her an icy glare.

“That's my business.”

“Where's the body?” Oswald asked.

“Victor took it away...But I'm concerned about witnesses - the bar was packed, so many people saw me leave with her.”

“And the cops will come to call soon,” Oswald predicted, “No matter now, you left the club with her and then you said goodnight and came home. That's the story you stick to – no one can prove otherwise. As soon as Victor has disposed of the body, I'll tell him to pay a visit to Ryley and find out where the hell he got those pills from.”

“I'm sorry, Oswald,” Ed said as he stepped closer, “I know I said I wasn't using again. I will try harder to stop.”

Oswald glared up at him as fury blazed in his eyes.

“You will do much better than that!” he said sharply, “You will _stop_ using and I will see to it that every dealer in my sector who operates under a criminal license issued by me will _not_ supply you again!”

Ed looked coldly at him.

“You can't just cut me off like that.”

“ _Yes I can, and I will!”_

 

As they continued to quarrel, Stacey left the room and Edward trotted after her. She wandered down the hallway, found a door to a garden area, opened it and Edward went outside, the sun was bright and the light snow fall had melted. She looked up at the skies to see clouds starting to mark it in shades of grey, promising rain. Edward sniffed at some shrubbery, then licked melted snow from the leaves, he bumped the plant with his head and got showered with droplets of water, then he rolled in the grass, got up and shook his coat as melted snow flew about. Moments later he came trotting in, then as she closed the door he hurried past her, she followed him and he went off through an open doorway, into a cosy room where a warm fire glowed. She reached the doorway and smiled, watching as he stretched out on the rug.

“ _Come here...”_ the voice was distant and quiet and as she looked out down the hallway, she saw the shadow of a man duck round a corner. 

“Ed?” she wondered, and she left Edward to rest by the fireplace and went up the hallway, taking a turn she had not taken before, that led to another corridor. She heard footsteps up ahead and followed.

“Ed,” she called out, “What are you up to?”

Now she had turned another corner, and as a door creaked ajar, she looked back, feeling disoriented. This place was vast and she was starting to feel lost. If she couldn't find her way back, she would have to leave by a window and find her way to the front of the building... that would be embarrassing. She entered the room and stopped, staring at the stranger who stood there by the darkened fireplace.

“Hello,” he said politely, “I was here to pay a visit to my good friend Oswald...I seem to have become rather disoriented. These corridors are endless...”

She looked in fascination at his fancy suit and the pocket watch he wore on his jacket. She stepped closer, then closer still, as if he was some kind of strange magnet, drawing her nearer as she looked up at him cautiously. He had said he was a friend of Oswald. He had that same kind of other worldly look about him with his fine old fashioned clothing. And no one had stopped him entering the building... he must be telling the truth, she assumed.

“I got a bit lost too.”

“As lost as Alice...Who are you?” he asked.

“I'm Stacey, I'm Oswald's new girlfriend.”

He started to smile and as his gaze locked with hers, she felt stuck. Like she was frozen to the spot, unable to move. Tetch leaned closer, looking into her eyes as he sensed her deepest fears.  _How wonderful. Now he had a plan. He didn't need to devise an elaborate plan, here was a solution. Penguin's girlfriend could be his assassin..._

“I don't need my watch to reach your mind, but I think it could be a useful trigger,” he remarked, snapping open the watch and holding it up as she felt drawn to its _Tick, Tick Tick._

“Give me your phone.”

Stacey felt as if invisible strings jerked her like a puppet as she drew out her phone and handed it to him. He made a note of her number and then gave it back to her, pausing to program the number into his own device, then he slipped it back into his pocket.

“Penguin is about to take away my access to the docks. He's going to kill our agreement. But if I kill him first, his territory will be wide open and I am open to claiming it upon his death and inviting a few of my friends to share the wealth...”

Stacy was still frozen, unable to yell for help, unable to lash out. She wanted to slit his throat but no knife was to hand, she had no voice or movement.

“You are in love,” he said with a smile, “And how soon it will end...you fear the loss of him...” he paused as a flicker of confusion came to his mind:

He had her. She was frozen, she was taking in everything he said and yet... this was odd. He felt a small degree of resistance. That was rare...

“Why are you so strong? Why so hard to mesmerise? _And why do I sense something at the back of your eyes..._ ”

There was something there, something dark he could not define and his own power had just touched it - and it felt cold and unknown...as if he had controlled her but something else rested there in her mind, refusing to yield to him... But he still had her. She would still follow his order...

“When I call at the time I choose,” he said, “You will hear the ticking of my watch. And you will pick up a loaded gun and shoot Penguin. You will fire once and shoot him in the head. And then,” he started to laugh, “You will have to live with knowing you shot your lover dead! When you wake from this trance you will recall nothing of our conversation. We have never met before. I am a stranger.”

There was a sharp snap as Stacey blinked, then wondered why she was in a strange room staring at an unlit fireplace. She looked around, then she left the room and looked up and down the empty hallway..  _What had she been doing? Oh yes, Edward..._ She took a wander up the hallway, then down it, eventually finding a familiar route that led her past the room where Edward was snoozing by the fire. She didn't recall bringing him back in from the garden... Then she heard voices coming from the vast main room where grey marble pillars met with a high ceiling, and she followed the sound as she listened:  
“What the hell are you doing here, Tetch?” Ed said darkly, “I thought the meeting was scheduled for next week. If you try anything -”

“I'm here to see Penguin, I was in the neighbourhood -”

“Next time you're in the neighbourhood, I'll see to it that Victor puts a bullet in you,” Ed added.

Then Oswald spoke up.

“What do you want, Tetch?” he demanded.

Stacey walked up to the doorway, hanging back as she watched from a distance. Olga was further up the hallway with her feather duster as she dashed it lightly across frames of paintings and she glanced at her and Stacey smiled, then looked away. Clearly, going by her sour expression, Olga did not approve of her listening in like this... but she was curious.  _Was Oswald handling some kind of trouble?_

As he stood behind his desk and leaned on it, Oswald's gaze was pure ice.

“It's too late to come here crawling on your belly, Tetch. Let's get this over and done with, shall we? You have been taking advantage of our agreement over your use of the docks. I know it and you know it. Today, it ends. You will withdraw your men and cancel all trade agreements and cease activity in my sector immediately, or I will send Victor and a few of my guys to pay a visit to the docks and your people will be floating in the river full of bullet holes by nightfall. Do I make myself clear?”

Tetch looked back at him expressionless.

“You disappoint me, Penguin. It's unfortunate our agreement has come to such a terrible end. But I'm sure in time it will be a decision you may regret, cutting loose such an old associate...”

Just then Victor entered the room.

“Shall I kill him now, boss?” he asked casually.

Tetch stiffened, as a flicker of alarm came to his eyes.

“No,” Oswald replied, glaring at Tetch, “Just get this piece of garbage off my property and be sure to escort him to the docks. His men need to leave before nightfall. Tetch and his associates are no longer welcome on my turf.”

“Are you _sure_ you don't want me to kill him? It would save time and effort later on?” Victor suggested with a hopeful look on his face.

“No, Victor. Just take a few of my men with you, have him clear out of the docks and get him off my turf. Tetch is no longer welcome here.”

“This way,” said Victor, giving a death stare to Tetch as he gestured to the door, keeping a hand on his gun as he led him out. As Tetch left the room, he saw Stacey standing there, and he flashed her a smile.

“ _Tick Tick Tick!”_ he whispered, giving her a wink, and then Victor had the gun trained on his back, leading him towards the front door.

Stacey watched as they left, feeling confused.

“What does that mean?” she said aloud, then she entered the room to find Oswald reaching for a scotch as he gave a heavy sigh.

“Who was that?” she asked.

“Jervis Tetch,” he replied, “I don't know which of my men let him in but I don't doubt Tetch used mesmerism to gain entry. He won't be doing that again. He's been using our agreement regarding use of the docks to slip in weapons from outside, supplying his associates without my knowledge. He's gone now.”

“Why didn't you kill him?” she asked.

Oswald gave another sigh and as he looked at her, in that moment seemed weary.

“Because as much as I would like to kill that lowlife, he has associates who could start up a war, all they need is enough firepower and an excuse. And I have an agreement with the GCPD, I am the only underworld crime boss who has that in the post war era. I vowed no war on our turf. In exchange, I run the underworld as I see fit and the cops go about their business and we don't clash. It has to stay that way.”

“He said something weird on the way out,” she added, “He said Tick Tick Tick. What does that mean?”

Oswald shrugged it off.

“His greatest ability is mesmerism, mind control...” he looked in alarm at Stacey as a sudden, horrible thought came to mind.

“We don't know how long he was in the building. Did he speak to you, did he show you a watch, did he try and hypnotise you?”

Stacey looked at him blankly, shaking her head.

“Where were you before you entered this room?” Oswald asked.

Stacey struggled to recall.

“I let the dog out for a piss and then... I came back in but I thought Edward was still in the garden but he wasn't, he was asleep by the fire.”

“Do you feel as if you've lost some time?” that question had come from Ed. He and Oswald both looked worried and now Stacey was starting to worry too.

“Yeah... a few minutes... I don't recall speaking to Tetch. Maybe I didn't...”

Oswald placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.

“It's possible Tetch may have hypnotised you. I'm guessing he did that fully expecting the outcome of our meeting today.”

“Why would he do that?” Stacey asked.

“ _To kill me.”_

Her eyes widened in alarm.

“I would never harm you, Ozzie, I love you!”

“I know that, my dear, but Tetch is not to be underestimated. We will have to watch you, to be sure this theory is wrong. If it isn't, we just have to stop you from doing whatever he told you to do. That should break the spell.”

He smiled, hoping to reassure her, but Stacey's gaze was filled with fear. _Tetch may have hypnotised her to harm Oswald? It was unthinkable, she couldn't imagine hurting him – and she was sure she would never forgive herself if she did..._

 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 

The days passed by.

The _Tick, Tick, Tick_ , phrase seemed to have no meaning. Victor had sat Stacey down and told her to listen as he played ticking sounds one after the other and she looked at him blankly and shook her head. She tried to recall those missing minutes but it was like a void in her mind.

Every night Oswald slept with a loaded gun close by, assuring her he wouldn't shoot to kill if she suddenly went into a trance, he would most likely use it to knock her out, he explained, but that really didn't make her feel any better. Victor followed her around the house more often than Edward did. She felt fine. Nothing happened, no hypnotic command activated and after two weeks, Oswald concluded maybe Tetch had said that to provoke this reaction, to cause anxiety...

By now he and Stacey had grown even closer, with Oswald taking her out into the city and showing her around. When he met with business associates in the Lounge, he was proud to introduce Stacey as his girlfriend. When she called home, she mentioned nothing of the possible hypnotism incident, because it seemed to have been a false alarm. Tetch had kept out of Penguin's territory and had caused no trouble since leaving.

Investigating the dealer who had sold Ed the poison turned out to be pointless – Ryley had apparently shot himself, strangely it had happened ten minutes after he had sold Ed the spiked pills. But it seemed the dealer had many problems in his personal life, so suicide seemed likely. Stacey had suggested maybe Tetch had done it to take Ed out of the picture before he made a move on Oswald's territory, but Oswald had dismissed the idea, saying it was looking to be a coincidence and besides, Tetch had not seemed shocked to see Ed alive and well when he had turned up at City Hall...

By now Stacey had decided to tell Oswald her darkest secret. His reaction came as a surprise when she talked to him in bed one night and explained that she was a descendant of Jack the Ripper.

“Really?” he said as his eyes gleamed with enthusiasm, “Oh my dear, this is wonderful news!”

“Why? She had asked.

“Because in a city like Gotham, such links to a violent and insane killer can only command respect,” he told her, “And I couldn't think of a darker, more sinister past to command such instant respect for the soon to be fiancée of Penguin.”

 

Then one afternoon a visitor showed up, flashing his police ID and asking to speak with Edward Nygma. Stacey had been sitting on the couch by the fire when Jim Gordon had walked in, and she had got up on hearing Oswald say _Hello, old friend,_ and sensed at once that maybe the two of them went back a long way, but perhaps they had not _always_ been good friends...

“Stacey,” said Oswald as he got up from his desk, “This is Jim Gordon of the GCPD, Jim, this is my girlfriend Stacey Ripper.”

Stacy smiled politely as Jim looked at her with interest.

“Ms Ripper...” he said, nodding to her as he wondered where she had come from – new faces were rare in this cut off city and she spoke with a London accent.

Oswald limped closer with a sparkle in his gaze as he shared something he considered to be thrilling news.

“ _Stacey is a direct descendant of Jack the Ripper!”_

Jim looked at her. She looked back at him, and then Oswald spoke up again, “She had to flee London, she was falsely accused of the brutal murder of the man who killed her father. Her brothers control a large slice of turf back in London.”

Stacey glanced at Oswald.

“Should you be telling him any of this, he's a cop!”

A look of smug satisfaction came to Oswald's face.

“This is Gotham, Stacey. We are cut off from the rest of the world. Any warrant for your arrest back in London is worthless here. Jim can't touch you unless you went out and killed someone in front of witnesses here in the city. Not that anyone would dare to be a witness in court and not that you would do such a thing, because you are innocent.”

They exchanged a smile as Jim stood there feeling mildly frustrated. Since the war, Oswald had taken great satisfaction in the fact that the GCPD's powers existed very differently now the city was shut off from the rest of the world, for all he knew there could be many international arrest warrants issued for Stacey Ripper – none would be worth the paper they were written on here...But he was curious about Stacey. He decided when he returned to the GCPD he would call an outside contact, see what information he could get on this woman who was a blood relation to Jack the Ripper...

“Why do you need to see Ed?” asked Oswald.

“A girl went missing two weeks back, it was reported three days ago by a friend of hers. Initial enquiries confirm she was last seen leaving Cherry's bar with Ed Nygma.”

“Did I hear my name?” said Ed as he breezed into the room, then he looked at Jim, “What a surprise! It's good to see the relationship between the GCPD and the underworld is thriving. Drink, Jim?”

“No, Ed, this is official business...”

Ed's smile faded.

“Oh, I see. Well, I can't think what the GCPD could want to see me about. How can I help you?”

Stacey stood with Oswald and watched as Ed laid out his story exactly as Oswald had instructed. Jim took notes and said he would be in touch if anything else came up and thanked him for his time, and then he left.

“He can't prove anything,” Oswald said, pouring a drink and handing it to Ed, “And he won't be back. He believed your story.”

“I hope you're right,” Ed said, pausing to take a mouthful of scotch, “I don't need another murder charge – especially not this time, I didn't kill her - well, not deliberately!” there was a flicker of worry in his gaze and Oswald had spotted it.

“He won't be back, Ed,” he assured him, “Forget about it and move on.”

 

Jim Gordon had returned to the GCPD and looked again at Ed's statement and concluded that while it seemed to ring true, the only odd thing about it was Ed had left a bar with a girl and not taken her home – but maybe even Nygma's luck didn't hold out all of the time...

Then he made a call to a contact outside of Gotham, requesting information on Stacey Ripper and the London murder case. By the end of the working day, his request had been dealt with surprisingly fast and as a matter of urgency as the contact who owed him a favour had sent a picture of the crime scene along with the message:

_If this is her work, you need to be aware. Nothing proven so far but her name is in the frame. She is the sister of the Ripper brothers, London crime lords. Older brother Calvin runs the business. Bit of an idiot, from what I hear. Miles Ripper is the reasonable one. But neither will talk to police about Stacey, they claim she has vanished..._

And Jim stared at the picture of the murder victim, face cut off and guts strung about like garlands. He thought about the small, friendly woman he had met at City Hall... was this her work? It seemed unlikely, but he had lived in Gotham long enough to know never to go by appearances – people could be very deceptive. But right or wrong about this, Oswald needed to know, because Jim wasn't sure exactly how unstable she might be...

 

The weather was getting colder. Now when light snow fell, it settled, making the dark and grimy streets look almost cleaned with the cold sparkle of winter dusting it. Oswald was outside City Hall, his umbrella up to keep the snow off his coat. It was almost dusk, and as he saw a shapely woman dressed in black clamber gracefully, cat-like on to a nearby rooftop, he looked up as she looked down and she gave him a fond smile and he replied with a little wave. _Selina Kyle_. He had known her for so many years, there had been times when they had been enemies and times when they had been allies but when all was said and done, Selina had broken away from Bruce and chosen her side, and that was here, in the lawless side of town, living among criminals as she prowled the rooftops at night.

He watched her elegant moves as she leapt a small gap between rooftops and then prowled onward into the advancing night, then he looked away, thinking about a time long ago when he had thought about leaving Gotham and she had said she felt the same and maybe they should leave together... His lonely heart had leapt as it dared to dream that perhaps this beautiful woman would have forged more than friendship with him, in time. They were both survivors of the war that had torn the city apart, both weary of life here and both ready for change. The thought was passing, then gone - and neither of them had left Gotham. He kept meaning to catch up with her and find out how she was doing these days, but the time was never right. Perhaps one day she would come down from the rooftops one evening and they would talk like old friends did, when they had been apart for a long time and yet conversation would prove that time meant nothing to those connected by the fondest of bonds...

Then Jim's car pulled up and he glanced through the open window.

“Oswald, I need to show you something,” he said.

The look on Jim's face was serious. Oswald got into the car. They drove away from City Hall, just to put a distance between Oswald's residence and the GCPD, then they parked up in a quiet street and Jim pulled a picture from a file.

“The body of Jax Marmaduke. Thought to be the work of Stacey Ripper. I felt you ought to know.”

Oswald stared at the gutted body with its entrails glistening horribly.

“Oh my!” he said, and Jim shook his head as he realised Oswald's tone was one of enthusiasm, “I am certain Stacey did not do this, of course,” he replied, folding the picture and tucking it away in the inside pocket of his coat, “But I will be sure to show this to Victor! He will find this method of killing most inspirational!”

Jim gave a heavy sigh as he shook his head.

“Oswald, if she did this, she's under your roof -”

“And the GCPD have no powers of arrest for crimes outside of Gotham City!” he said sharply, rising fierce and fast to protect his lover, “If I say she is innocent, she IS innocent, Jim!”

“Fine,” Jim replied in a low voice as he turned the car around and headed back to City Hall, “Just don't say I didn't warn you if you come home to a massacre one day - or become her next victim!”

“You should take care, hurling these accusations about,” Oswald replied as his gaze shone icy, “I am a wealthy man with lawyers, I won't have Stacey's reputation tarnished.”  
“I was just trying to make you aware,” Jim replied as Oswald got out of the car.

“Goodbye, Jim,” Oswald replied, raising a gloved hand and giving him a little wave.

Jim shot him a look of annoyance and drove away, frustrated that Oswald had not taken him seriously. After seeing those crime photos, Jim knew that he personally wouldn't want to be close to anyone whose name was in the frame for that sick murder... but this was Gotham. Maybe if she was a psycho killer, perhaps it turned Penguin on... and Jim knew _that_ was none of his business...

 

Oswald waited until dinner was over and the two of them were alone together in the vast marble room where he stood leaning against his desk as he called her over, and Stacey got up from the couch, leaving Edward to lay on the rug after enjoying much fuss, and she went over and joined him as Oswald drew a picture from his pocket and unfolded it.

“Is this your work?” he asked.

She looked at the picture, there was Jax strung up and split open, faceless with his guts trailed out like shining garlands.

“Yes,” she said quietly, “But not _me_. It was done by what took over when I decided to take revenge, I'm not like that all the time, Oswald, you have to believe me!”

His expression softened.

“I do believe you,” he replied, “But this is... _incredible!_ ”

Surprise registered on her face as playful darkness shone in his eyes.

“You are capable of far more than you realise. Can you keep it under strict control?”

She nodded.

“Of course I can! It came out of me because he killed my Dad! It was an act of vengeance, I swear, Ozzie – I'd never hurt you or anyone I love.”

He nodded.

“That's what I thought,” he agreed, “What ever made the Ripper do his terrible deeds has somehow altered along the generations, to come out in you as a useful ability to fight back. I am not judging you for this my dear, only admiring your work. It was indeed an act of revenge. I love you, Stacey.”

“I love you too,” she replied, and she stepped closer and they shared a kiss as the firelight flickered.

“And now I have to catch up on some business,” Oswald said, “The legitimate stuff always requires so much paperwork! But perhaps we can have an early night, maybe a very early night. I should be no more than an hour.”

“Don't work too hard,” she said, “I'll be waiting for you upstairs,” and she kissed him again, and then left the room as Oswald limped over to his desk to complete work that he hoped he could get done quickly – he wanted that early night with Stacey...

 

Stacey went up to the room she shared with Oswald, and she had a smile on her face as she took off her shoes and then sat down on the bed.

Then her phone rang. She answered it.

“Hello?”

_Tick, Tick, Tick._

Stacey knew what she had to do. _She had to shoot Oswald_. She stood up even though she didn't want to, she was walking over to a cupboard in the corner of the room where her lover kept a collection of guns in case of emergency. She was reaching for the door, her hand was shaking but invisible strings were jerking her movements, overriding the scream in her mind that yelled _no_.

Tears filled her eyes as she looked inside at the weapons. She couldn't fight the command, it was like being possessed by some evil force that dictated her movements and actions. But there was a tiny space, in a dark corner of her mind where it whispered how sharp the knife was, that _Ripper_ corner was beyond the reach of Tetch and his commands... and that small grasp at freedom might just save Oswald's life, she hoped. _It gave her space to think about the limited choices she had..._ She reached inside, allowing that small fragment of freedom to make the only choice she could:  
 _Tetch had said shoot him. He had not specified which gun, or how close she had to be..._ She passed her hand over the shotgun, then a few semi automatic weapons and she gave a sob as she drew out a low powered revolver. Tears streamed down her face as she left the cupboard open and walked out of the room with the loaded gun in her hand.

 _Please someone stop me,_ she said in her mind as she headed for the stairs, _Victor, where are you? Olga... anyone.. PLEASE!_

She walked slowly down the stairs.

_Please, someone, fucking stop me. Shoot me if you have to, don't let me hurt my Ozzie..._

Tears ran down her face as she headed back towards the room where Oswald was sitting at his desk.

 _I do not wanna do this, why can't I just shoot myself instead?_ She screamed inside her own head, a voice soundless to the world around her. As she reached the doorway, she saw him at his desk, head down as he studied some paperwork. _She had to shoot._ It was impossible to fight, but Tetch had not said she had to be up close. _Tetch._ _He will pay for this later in blood,_ whispered the voice at the back of her mind, then it reminded her, _low velocity weapon, not close range. Ozzie might survive..._

As she stood in the doorway looking across the room to his desk, she raised the gun. He heard a click and looked up.

And suddenly her voice broke free of its chains.

“ _Run!”_ she sobbed.

His eyes widened in alarm. She pulled the trigger. No, _Tetch_ pulled the trigger. That distinctive _Tick, Tick_ of his antique watch had activated the command – Tetch had orchestrated it. But none of that mattered as Oswald had no time to duck for cover, as he turned his head a mere fraction the bullet slammed into it, punching a small hole between his temple and his eye socket, the force of the shot slammed him back against the seat, and then he lay here motionless as blood ran in a small line from the bullet wound. His eyes were closed, he was still as death...

Stacey dropped the gun. Suddenly Tetch had let go of her mind. All she could do was drop to her knees and scream _No_...

 

Stacey didn't know how long she stayed there curled on the marble floor screaming and sobbing, the gun cast away at her side. Olga came running, then called Victor and Ed, and it was Ed who went into the room first and pulled back the chair and laid Oswald on the floor and took off his jacket and placed it under his head, then he took a look at the wound and felt for a pulse as he said his name over and over and Oswald gave no response. Then Ed shouted for some armed guards to go to the hospital and fetch help. Oswald would not be leaving City Hall, there had been one attempt on his life and he would not risk another – the treatment would have to come to him, immediately.

Stacey looked up to see Olga standing over her with the revolver trained on her as she glared downward. Then Victor came over and placed a calming hand on Olga's sleeve.

“She was mesmerised by Jervis Tetch.”

“Meser – ma... what?” Olga said in confusion.

“ _Hyp-no-tised!”_ Victor said, “Tetch did this, he ordered her to do it while she was in a trance! Stacy is _not_ to blame, put the gun down!”

Olga lowered the gun and stepped back, casting a worried glance into the next room where Ed was using his medical skills to give first aid.

“It's not your fault, Stacey,” Victor said as he lifted her room the floor and she stood on shaking legs before sobbing again as her knees buckled.

“ _No, no he's not dead, don't let Ozzie be dead! I didn't want to do it, I heard the watch on the phone! Tetch!”_ her eyes blazed with tears that had turned to fury as she screamed, _“I'LL FUCKIN' KILL THE BASTARD!”_

Victor didn't doubt her words, but at that moment Stacey was in such a state of shock she couldn't kill anyone because she couldn't even stand up without his help. She had slipped in a pool of her own urine as he helped her up and then more had run down her leg, such was the shock of what Tetch had forced her to do. Victor put his arm around her as he helped her towards the stairway.

“You're going up to your room -”

“ _No, I need to be with Oswald!”_ she sobbed, but her efforts to fight him were weakened by the state of her. Being forced to shoot the man she loved had shattered her. He glanced back at Olga.

“I need your help with Stacey,” he said.

 

Moments later they were upstairs in Oswald's room, Victor had removed the guns from the bedroom and an open razor from the bathroom because he felt sure if Stacey turned a weapon on any one now, it would be on herself.

“Watch her, take care of her,” Victor told Olga, and then as he hurried back downstairs, Stacey curled in a tight ball on the bed and as she put her head on Olga's lap she sobbed again as Olga sat there, stroking her hair as Stacey wept harder. In Stacey's mind the gun went off again, she saw the bullet hit Oswald, she watched as she shot the most precious person in her life as Tetch pulled the strings as if she was a puppet and he controlled her entirely. _She couldn't forgive herself. Even if Oswald lived, if he recovered, she could not forgive herself for what Tetch had forced her to do..._

 

An hour later Ed was outside City Hall, standing alone by the orange shade of nearby street lighting as he leaned against a wall, looking up at the darkened, star scattered sky. Behind the lens of his glasses, his eyes were red and tearful. He had watched as medics had brought equipment in and someone had sent for a surgeon, there was an empty room on the ground floor that would be used for the surgery. Thankfully marble was easy to sterilise and Oswald would be having the bullet removed before midnight. He was still holding on, but deeply unconscious. The bullet had punched into his skull at an angle, skimmed brain tissue on the surface and come to a stop close to the underside of the skull. He had seen enough injuries during his time in forensics to know Oswald stood a chance, but how much of a chance remained to be seen. He wouldn't escape brain injury. He had possible damage to his optic nerve due to swelling and the entry point. His right eye would either be blind or impaired. _If he lived..._

_To imagine life without Oswald was unthinkable. In that moment Ed's own gun went off, far in the past as crimson seeped through Oswald's suit and he fell into the Gotham River. Ed knew he was crying and he knew he was weeping not only for Oswald but lost opportunities. If only he had seen what a gift Oswald had offered all those years before – his heart and soul, and he had turned it down and laughed at him... Regrets were biting deep tonight..._

“Riddler?”

He sniffed and blinked away tears to see Selina Kyle standing there, in tight fitting black clothing and with deep concern in her eyes as she looked up at him, her curls looking almost silver by moonlight instead of their usual honey blonde.

“I heard the bad news,” she said, and briefly looked to the open doorway of the building, “Is it true he was shot in the head?”

Ed nodded.

“And we still don't know if he will make it... He's having the surgery before midnight,” rage burned in his eyes, “It was Tetch! He hypnotised Oswald's girlfriend to shoot him. We suspected he got to her, so did she! We watched her, we tried everything and we wrongly assumed Tetch had done nothing to her! That's my fault and Victor's...can't blame Oswald, we should have protected him....”  
Ed was shaking his head as he blinked away more tears.

“Where's Tetch?” Selina voice had hardened as she thought of her steel claws, her glove would make shredded bloody ribbons of Tetch for this...

“We've sent out a search party. Or should I say, a hunting party. I need to formulate a plan to put a stop to what ever he's plotting... he has associates. I'm thinking about putting a death squad together, take out the men who work for every one of his conspirators. Pile the bodies high in the fucking streets, that will send a clear message... but first, Oswald is my priority. The search for Tetch is underway. Now I need to be with my best friend, I'm going back inside.”

Selina had felt surprised to hear Penguin had a girlfriend. He had always been so alone in life until now...

Wait, Ed -”

He turned back.

“Tetch used her to shoot Oswald?”

Ed nodded.

“Thankfully she seemed to have a degree of control... choosing a low powered weapon and shooting at a distance...that was all she could do, Tetch had the rest of her mind. She will never forgive herself.”

“She was able to choose the least harmful weapon? How did she do that?” Selina asked, “I thought only crazy people could resist Tetch's commands.”

Ed shrugged.

“Maybe she's slightly crazy, I don't know. I have to go inside now, I want to see Oswald.”

“I'll come with you,” Selina replied.

 

As they entered the building, Ed led the way down a hallway towards a door that was open, and as he approached it, a nurse came out and he paused to speak to her. Selina had stopped by the stairway, hearing echoes of sobs coming from above. Ed spoke with the nurse and then as he walked away and rejoined her, he looked upset.

“I can't see him yet, they're cleaning up the wound and preparing him for surgery. As soon as he's ready they're operating, they can't delay. They think they can take the bullet out from the side of his head. If he has complications, they will have to open him right up, and it could take hours, and the outcome could be much worse. We just have to hope for best.”

Selina said nothing as she saw the look of fear in Ed's eyes. He and Oswald went back so many years. Ed would be lost without him... She had her own memories of Oswald too, thinking back, they had shared good and bad times, been enemies and then friends and... maybe her heart was breaking too, but she wasn't about to show it, not when Ed was trying not to fall apart.

“I'm going to go up and follow the sound of the crying,” she said, “I take it that's his girlfriend sobbing up there?”

Ed nodded.

“I need a drink,” he muttered, and walked off towards the room where Oswald had been shot, the reminders would be all around him, a spot of blood on the desk, more on the carpet, but this whole place had all kinds of reminders of Oswald... So did the entire city. Losing him was too painful to contemplate...

 

Selina made her way up the staircase. She followed the sound to the master bedroom, where Stacy was curled in a small, tight ball as her long hair cascaded behind her and she sobbed again. Olga got up, leaving Stacey to rest.

“She will not stop,” Olga said quietly, “She just cries.”

“Leave her with me,” Selina said quietly, and then she knelt down on the floor, eye level with the woman who was curled at the edge of the bed sobbing.

“Hi, I'm Selina Kyle, I'm an old friend of Oswald's,” she said softly, “This isn't your fault, Stacey. You didn't pull the trigger. Jervis Tetch did it. He used you as his weapon. And now a lot of people will want him dead. You have to stop blaming yourself and be strong for Oswald, he's going to need your support when he comes out of surgery.”

Stacey sat up, pushing her long hair off her face. Her eyes were red and sore and she was shaking.

“ _I'm going to kill Tetch myself,”_ she whispered _._

There was something cold and determined about Stacey's gaze.

“ _You have no idea what I can do!”_ she added, then the rage was gone as tears filled her eyes again, _“But first I need to know Ozzie is okay...”_ she gave another sob, as if the pain of the shooting had cut her in half. Then she suddenly got up, looking about the room as that fury blazed again.

“ _Where the fuck is it?”_ she muttered, and then as Selina got up from the floor, she watched as Stacey made a quick grab for her phone, and she searched her call list.

“Found it. He called me to trigger his command. Now he can listen to me!”

The phone rang.

“Stacey!” said Tetch, sounding bemused, “Has someone had some deadly fun tonight with her boyfriend's gun?”

Stacey drew in a slow breath. Her eyes burned with fury and her voice was low and full of the promise of murder.

“ _When I find you, Tetch,”_ she vowed _“I'll kill your men and then I'll kill you and have your head on a fucking spike outside City Hall!”_

“So, is he dead, then?” Tetch asked casually.

“ _You're the dead man,_ ” she said darkly, _“From the minute you told me to shoot Oswald, you became a dead man walking. Don't bother counting the time on your watch. Start counting your fucking breaths. I'm coming for you!”_

As she ended the call, Selina was staring at her. Now this broken and weeping woman had transformed. Her hair hung over her face as she put her phone in her pocket, then as she raised her head, bloody murder shone in her gaze.

“ _I'll find that fucker, and I'll slaughter him,”_ Stacey vowed, _“I'll make the streets of Gotham run red with his worthless blood!”_

“Maybe I can help you with that,” Selina replied, “People call me Cat because I have razor sharp claws.”

“No, he's mine. I want his head,” Stacey replied flatly, and then she walked barefoot out of the room and headed for the stairway.

Selina followed her, hurrying to catch up.

“You forgot your shoes,” she said as they reached the top of the stairs.

“Right now I need to be with Oswald,”Stacey replied, “As soon as I know he's out of danger, I'm gone. _I'm off to find Tetch_.”

Then she walked off without her down the stairway, to find Ed, so they could sit together and share their pain. Selina glanced at her watch. It was almost midnight. Oswald would be having surgery now. It would be a long night. The wait to find out if he was okay was painful already. She made her way slowly down the stairs, blinking away tears she refused to shed in front of others. Ed was shattered by the shooting, so was Stacey, she didn't doubt in time she would carry out her threat to Tetch, but right now, Oswald was priority, and with the two people closest to him so devastated, someone needed to be strong for him when he woke up again...

 

Ed was sitting on the couch as the firelight flickered. He had a glass in his hand and was on his second drink. He looked into the fire as his thoughts led him back to dark places full of regret, and suddenly he gave a sob that he stifled quickly as he shook his head and found his voice again.

“I have _so_ many regrets! There was a time when Oswald and I could have been together. But I pushed him away and I was so cruel!”

Stacey was on the other end of the seat and she looked at him and shook her head and drank down a shot of booze.

“ _Please shut up you self centred bastard.”_

Anger flared in his gaze.

“Don't you speak to _me_ like that -”

“I'll say what I like!” she replied sharply, “You had a chance with him and you blew it, yeah? Well that's your loss, Ed! How can you sit there crying over your mistakes when he's got a bullet in his head? It's about Oswald, _not_ you!”

Ed's anger had faded on hearing those words as a tear ran down his face.

“It doesn't mean I don't love and cherish him! I just never appreciated what I could have had. Maybe he wouldn't have reacted as he did at the time, if not for my cruelty. He's never been happy with anyone, never found love, he's tried, but never got there, not until you came along...”

Selina was over by a drinks cabinet, pouring herself a measure and staying silent as she watched and listened. She had plenty of regrets of her own, but what use was regret? Hindsight could do nothing to alter the past... She thought about the day she and Oswald had talked about leaving Gotham together. She had thought about the two of them and how things might have turned out... so many maybes. By then she was done with Bruce and the city was still in chaos. Her and Penguin, not exactly going off into the sunset, more like fighting their way out of a war zone to find some peace together... Yes, for a fleeting moment, she had thought about it. If she was honest with herself, she had always had a soft spot for Oswald. Even when she had wanted to kill him, even when they had been on opposing sides. And now, they had been friends for many years. Those little waves he gave her as he stood outside City Hall and her smiling down from a rooftop... She only made her way across those rooftops near that building at dusk just to see him wave, she had been doing it for several years...

A text alert sounded and she checked her phone. It was Ivy asking how Penguin was doing.

 _No news yet, he's still in surgery,_ she had sent back.

 _Thinking of him – and you_ , Ivy replied.

Selina managed a smile. Ivy was so intuitive, she had always said she thought she was rather fond of Oswald. And Selina had always laughed it off. But Ivy knew, somehow, she could tell... Selina looked at the time again. It was moving by slowly as they waited for news. She took a deep breath and walked over to the fireplace, watching as Ed denied being selfish and once again Stacey told him this wasn't about his regrets.

“She's right,” Selina said, “You may have regrets, Ed, I don't doubt it – but right now, all we should be thinking about is Oswald. And hoping he pulls through.”

“Yes, you are right, Selina,” Ed replied, then he fell silent and took solace in his drink once more.

Selina looked over at Stacey, who had stopped crying and now had a look of quiet anxiety in her gaze. She silently thought back through all the years since she had first met Oswald.

“He'll make it,” Selina assured her, “Penguin's tougher than he looks.”

Stacey nodded. There was something very certain about that statement Selina had just made, and her words had lent her much needed strength.

“I think you're right,” she said quietly as her heart ached and she felt sure she would know no peace until she looked into his eyes again and knew for certain he was going to recover, “He will make it. Ozzie will pull through, he has to. I bet he doesn't even know how loved he is, how much we all care about him.”

Selina fell silent, knowing for sure Oswald had never known exactly how much she cared for him. To know he would be okay would be enough. But it would be a while before they got any news and as the three of them waited, Ed was holding Oswald in his heart, Stacey was living for the moment she could look into his eyes and know for sure he was okay, and Selina was silently watching the clock, as she wondered if she would ever climb that rooftop near city hall just to look down and see him standing there to give her a wave again...

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 

Oswald woke to someone saying his name. It was Ed, and he sounded upset.

“Just look at me, say something...”

He gave a weak sigh, wishing Ed would just leave him to sleep. He opened one eye and realised the other was covered. _His last memory had been a bullet. Someone had shot him. The rest was all haze and mist._ He tried to think back and recalled walking Edward outside city hall, this had been before... snow? _Had there been snow?_ He recalled a warm evening in early Fall... _Had he lost some time?_ A dull ache throbbed from his eye socket and shot across the side of his head. It felt like it was probably capable of causing much more pain, if not for what ever he had been given to relieve the worst of it. He reached out and felt Ed grasp his hand. That was better, now he could focus. He tried to open his eye but it took far too much effort and he was exhausted, so he kept his eyes closed.

“Ed...” he whispered.

“Listen to me,” Ed told him, “You've had the bullet taken out. The doctor said you're going to be okay. It might take a while to get better, but you've been lucky. You will get over this.”

Oswald held his hand a little tighter.

“ _Who...who shot me?”_ he whispered.

“Stacey shot you but it wasn't her fault, she was hypnotised by Jervis Tetch.”

He took in a sharp breath as he wondered why a deep wave of emotion had washed over him, he was angry and he wanted to cry and rant at the same time, and he had the energy to do neither.

“ _Tetch.”_  
“Yes, it was Tetch.”

“ _Then....Tetch shot me...not...her.”_

“That's right,” Ed kept a tight grip on his hand, “Not Stacey's fault. Tetch made her do it. Victor is out with some of your best people looking for Tetch. Do you understand everything I just said?”

Oswald gave a sigh.

“ _Yes.”_

Ed pressed his hand gently to his cheek as he spoke again.

“Oswald, look at me...”

He dragged open his eye and then closed it again.

“ _Let me sleep,”_ he murmured.

“No, try and focus – your right eye is covered because your sight may be damaged. Once you're healed it will be okay to take the dressing off. Your vision might be blurry. Is your other eye okay?”

“ _Yes,”_ he gave another tired sigh.

“Stacey's here,” Ed added, “She's been so upset. She can't forgive herself for what happened, Oswald! We all thought we were wrong about Tetch hypnotising her. I'm to blame, so is Victor -”

“ _No.”_

Oswald's uncovered eye was still closed.

“Yes we are -”

“ _Tetch,”_ Oswald whispered, pausing for a slow breath, _“Did it.”_

Ed held on to him with both hands as he leaned closer.

“Please try and focus, stop these whispers and one word answers, try and speak, Oswald, _talk_ to me!”

“ _Tired,”_ Oswald responded.

“ _Please, Oz,”_ Ed wept, _“Please come back from this! Please be Oswald again, I can't take this....”_

Ed quietly sobbed for a moment. Oswald's breathing became slow and even as he slipped into a light sleep. It was just gone six am and the surgery to take out the bullet had taken over five hours. The surgeon had said the procedure had gone well, and for now he was very weak, but if he pulled through, he would need just a few months to get over the injury. But he couldn't focus on the positive. Right now as Ed sat at his bedside and looked at the sight of Oswald with his head wrapped in bandages and lines running into his arms, he felt as if it couldn't get any worse.

“ _You don't even talk like Oswald any more!”_ he said tearfully, and gave another sob.

Then a hand briefly squeezed his shoulder and he looked around as tears streaked his face to see Victor standing there.

“Ed,” he said, keeping his voice low, “If you're going to sit there and sob and cry every time Penguin wakes, I swear I'll drag you out of this room and slap you silly! How do you think you're making him feel, behaving like that?” he glared at him, “He's dangerously weak, he's not stable yet and this could go either way. Don't let his last memory be you sitting there crying like a baby – get out of here until you've got it under control!”

Ed leaned over Oswald and kissed his cheek, then he stifled another sob as he slipped his fingers free from his grip and Oswald murmured something and partly opened his eye, then closed it again as Ed left the room. Stacey stood on the other side of the bed as Victor took Ed's place.

“Hi Penguin,” he said.

Oswald gave a sigh and slowly opened his eye.

“ _Victor,”_ he whispered.

“Yes, it's me,” Victor said gently,“I've got a team of guys out hunting for Tetch. Do you know Tetch shot you?”

“ _Yes.”_

“I've left them to search. I'm staying here with you, Boss. Ed ordered double security around City Hall, too – thrown a ring of steel around it to keep you safe while you recover. Best decision he's made all day!”

Oswald felt as if he was sliding away in that haze of pain relief. He raised his hand and Victor took hold of it.

“Stacey didn't mean to shoot you, Penguin. Do you fully understand that?”

“Yes...” he said, sounding weary, but now his voice was above a whisper.

“Stacey's right here...”

She leaned over him, gently placing a hand on his bandaged head as she looked into his eye.

“I love you, Ozzie,” she said softly.

He looked up at her in confusion, then turned his head, focusing his limited gaze on Victor.

“ _Who...is she?”_ he asked.

“Ozzie, it's me,” Stacey's voice trembled as she held back her tears, “Please remember me, we were in love, you can't forget me! We were happy -”

Victor glanced up at her.

“Calm down,” he whispered, “He's just struggling to recall.”

Oswald gripped Victor's hand harder, clinging to his solid link to the world as he turned on his side and drew Victors hand closer, then pushed it between his shoulder and his neck as he leaned on it and started to drift off again.

“No you don't!” Victor said as if talking to a playful child “No stealing my hand, I might need it to shoot Tetch!”

“ _Stay...”_ Oswald murmured.

As he said that, he opened his eye, turning further away from Stacey.

“Ozzie...”

He had turned on his side, facing Victor – and he still had Victor's hand as he drifted back into sleep. Stacey gave a quiet sob, looking away as she hid her tears.

“He can't remember me, Victor!”

“He's had brain surgery,” he reminded her, “Give him time. They said he would need a few months to recover, and his memory could be hazy at first. He recalls being shot. It's not as if he's lost years of his memories. He's going to need time...” he paused for thought, “I'll have to help Ed take over the running of business for a while. And I'll make sure the word gets out that Penguin is just fine. No one must know he's vulnerable or his enemies will start sharpening the knives.”

Stacey stepped closer and looked down at Oswald.

“Please come through this,” she whispered, “And please...” her eyes filled with tears, _“Don't forget me!”_

Then a nurse came in, one of two staff paid to stay and take care of Oswald, and she reminded them he was too tired for visitors and needed to rest now. Victor had to struggle to gently prise his hand away from his bosses grip, then they left the room together.

 

As Victor and Ed talked together and Stacey went upstairs alone, Selina hung back in the hallway, listening. It sounded like Oswald was very weak and would struggle to recover from this. _And he couldn't remember Stacey? She could only imagine how his girlfriend was feeling right now..._ But her concern was with Oswald, he had been limited to a short time with visitors after he woke from the surgery and as Selina approached the doorway to his room, a nurse had just finished checking on him, and then she looked up and saw her standing there.

“Mr Cobblepot can't have any more visitors for a few hours - maybe not for the rest of the day,” she told her, “You'll just have to wait until he's awake again, _if_ he's strong enough and feels able to see visitors when he wakes.”

Selina smiled and nodded and then walked away, but only for a short distance. She waited and watched as the nurse left the room, then as she looked down at saw Edward looking up at her she started to smile.

“I think Daddy would love to see you!” she said, and scooped the dog into her arms.

She went into the room where Oswald was resting, and leaned over him.

“Penguin,” she whispered in his ear, “Wake up, someone's here to see you!”

He looked up at her slowly, then blinked.

“Selina?” he said weakly.

“I've got a surprise for you!” she said excitedly, Close your eyes!”

Oswald closed his eyes. She held up the dog.

“Now you can look!”

He opened his eye again, and at once his expression lit up with joy as for the first time since the shooting, Oswald was more like his old self again.

“Edward!” he said joyfully.

Selina placed Edward on the bed, and Oswald stroked him, still smiling.

“Daddy loves you,” he said, “So much... Cat?”

Selina looked at him.

“Who... who is...”

Words were failing him. She tried to guess the rest of the sentence.

“Who is Stacey?”

“Yes.”

“Your girlfriend. She loves you, Oswald - and she's heartbroken about the shooting. Can't you remember anything about her?”

Oswald tried to think but his mind was too cloudy.

“No.”

Just then the nurse returned to the room.

“I told you, no visitors!” she said to Selina, “And no pets!”

Selina gigged as she lifted Edward, bringing him closer to Oswald, who laughed as his dog licked his face, then she carried the dog from the room, pausing to look back when she reached the doorway. At least Oswald was smiling now.

“Thanks,” he said to her, and then he closed his eyes again and slipped back into a light sleep.

 

The next few days were hard on everyone. Ed quietly worried for his best friend while Victor spend his days searching for Tetch. Selina stopped by every day to visit Oswald. He always seemed to brighten up at the sight of her and it made the ache in Stacey's heart cut deeper to think he could recall and old friend like Selina, yet had no memory of the woman he had fallen in love with. She wondered, was this her punishment for pulling the trigger? After four days, Oswald was out of danger. By the end of the week he was sitting up in bed. A week after that his speech was improving and he was getting stronger. But he was far from recovered. He would need a lot of rest to get over the injury caused by the bullet. It would be a few months before he could take back his usual role of controlling and running his territory. For now, Ed was doing that for him, along with Victor who was happy to help in any way he could. The official story was, Penguin was recovering from a minor shooting. For now, the truth was easy to hide. But he could only be absent for so long before suspicion was raised...

Three weeks passed by since the shooting and now he was out of danger and slowly recovering, it made sense to make long term plans:

Ed had a safe house outside of the city, tucked away just outside a small, quiet town - and far from home, but it would be a safe place for Oswald to recover. While he was away, Ed and Victor would take care of business. In Oswald's absence, Ed had plans to use all of the intelligence he had gathered in the past three weeks to conduct the biggest gang land massacre Gotham had ever seen, killing Tetch, his men, and those who supported Tetch's plans. Oswald had little say in these plans, because he was still sleeping a lot and his mind was still hazy.

_And he could still not recall Stacey._

She had gone to his room every day and talked to him, told him about their memories and all they had shared, but he just looked at her blankly.

“You must remember how much you loved me!” she said as she grasped his hand, looking into his eyes.

“ _No...”_ he replied quietly.

After she left, he tried to remember her – his last memory was the gun going off, but the person who fired it was lost to the fog in his mind. Just as he recalled having a passionate relationship with a woman, but her name and her face were blank and when he looked at Stacey he saw such love in her eyes, yet his heart could not recall the same...

Stacey had been holding on to hope, desperate that he would recall her. First she had waited for him to stabilise and be out of danger, then she had wanted to help him to recover and get over the worst of it, but he avoided her offers of help. He wanted Ed and Victor and Selina, and when he was asked if he wanted to see Stacey, he would just look blank and say, _Why?_ Every time he did that, she felt as if a knife had been driven into her heart. Pain was turning to rage now, like a slow rising red mist rolling in off a sea of grief:

_Tetch had to die. There were rumours he was hiding just outside of Gotham, away from his own territory out in the woodlands, but the woods stretched on for miles...Search parties were still working on it. Each time they returned, Stacey marked off the searched areas, looking at what was left... Tetch was waiting for something - most likely, news that Oswald was dead. When that news didn't come, this would go one of two ways – Tetch and his allies would band together and try and take over, or his allies would fall away and swear allegiance to Penguin and leave Tetch to his fate. Stacey knew what his fate would be, she had made a promise and she was going to keep it..._

_By now, her heart was completely broken. The plan to move Oswald to a place of safety was happening tomorrow at nightfall, when he left Gotham by boat and travelled to the mainland, where a car would be waiting to take him to the safe house. And she wanted to go with him, but he was yet to recall her. And she didn't want Tetch to breathe for a moment longer...Now her plan had formulated: Kill Tetch and then go back to Oswald and find a way to make his damaged mind recall her..._

 

By now, Oswald was out of the room where he had spent the first weeks recovering and was back upstairs in his own bedroom. Stacey felt like a stranger as she had knocked on the door and he said _Come in._ She entered the room and went over to his bed – the bed they had once shared, as she blinked away tears.

“Ozzie, I need to talk to you.”

Oswald was sitting up in bed, resting against big, soft pillows that cushioned him as he turned his head and met her gaze.

“Why?” he asked.

“Can I sit down?” she asked, and he shrugged.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and looked into his eyes, her heart aching for the love that was once there – at this moment, she felt as if that bullet may as well have killed that love they had shared, because she saw no trace of it left in his eyes.

“Can you see better now?” she asked.

Oswald nodded and reached for a monocle that was placed next to the bed along with a glass of water and some pill bottles, and he put the monocle on and looked at her again.

“I can see well enough, thank you...” he replied, pausing to search for her name, “Stacey.”

His speech was back, but it was certainly not flowing and she saw frustration in his gaze each time he spoke, missing the usual eloquence of his words.

“How do you feel now?” she asked, “Are you still in pain?”

Asking that question had been difficult. She blinked away tears that had been blurring her vision ever since entering this room. Until now, Oswald's head had been covered in bandages and now they were off, she could see the large scar that still looked fresh. It had also come as a shock that his head was completely shaved. He realised she was staring and he raised his hand, running it over a soft dark shadow that was starting to grow back. Suddenly as he looked at her, his eyes became tearful as he gave a quiet sob.

“I miss...”

He was looking at her so full of emotion, and her heart skipped a hopeful beat. _Had he just remembered her?_

“My spikes!” he said, “My hair...” and as he looked away he took a deep breath, trying to control that spill of emotion. _Of course he hated his hair like this, he had always been so proud of it... And he didn't recall her at all..._

She reached over and took hold of his hand. He looked down at it, feeling no connection to the woman who was holding his hand.

“When you leave tomorrow, I want to come with you,” she told him, “I want to help you get better. But first I want to find Tetch. I'm going to make him pay, Oswald! Then I'll come and see you and maybe, by then you will be a lot better and you will remember me.”

He shook his head as he looked blankly at her.

“I'm sorry...”

“You don't have to say sorry, Ozzie,” she told him softly, “None of this is your fault. Who is going to be looking after you when you leave Gotham?”

He smiled. Warmth shone in his eyes.

“Cat!” he said as a trace of a sparkle lit in his gaze.

“Selina,” Stacey replied flatly, feeling a cold sense of rejection and bitterness, “How nice of her to do that for you, are you happy for Selina to stay with you and help you?”

“Yes,” he smiled again as warmth crept into his gaze.

It made Stacey wonder exactly how fond they were of each other, she had spotted a lot of warmth flowing between the two of them when Selina had come to visit, and she had been over every single day to see Oswald...

“Are you sure you wouldn't like me to look after you? Once I've handled Tetch I can spend all my time with you.”

Confusion filled his hazy mind again.

“ _No, no... I have...Cat.”_

She looked away as she blinked tears from her eyes and that pain in her heart sunk deeper still, then she looked back at him and forced a smile.

“I'm glad you have Selina to look after you,” she said, then she paused for thought, “Don't you remember us making love, Ozzie?”

He stared at her. At the back of his mind he felt certain he had once been very inexperienced with intimate matters, but then... something had changed that. _Yes he recalled making love, but the woman's face was lost to him..._

“I recall... _intimacy_ , yes.”

“With me?” she said in a hushed voice.

He studied her face, he took in her small, delicate body wrapped in a dark dress, he tried to picture the two of them, but could not.

“With...someone,” he replied, “I'm sorry.”

“It was me!” she insisted, “Ozzie, I was your first, your _only_ lover! Why can't you remember me?”

As Oswald looked at her, he suddenly recalled tattoos, a serpent coiled on her arm and on the other, birds taking flight...

“Tattoos?”

She smiled as hope shone in her eyes as she pushed up her sleeves.

“Do you remember my tattoos?”

He studied them and nodded.

“Yes!”

She started to smile.

“Do you remember us, together in this bed? I came here by boat, you met me in a carriage, you were unlike anyone I'd ever met before, I fell for you the minute I laid eyes on you – Oswald _please_ , try and remember me!”

He had heard her words so desperately spoken but as he looked at her, he recalled nothing.

“I recall...the bullet,” he said slowly as he struggled to find his speech, “And... before winter... walking Edward...”

“That's all?”

“Yes.”

“You don't remember me at all?” now she couldn't hold back her tears.

“Sorry,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze and then letting go again, “Sorry, but.. _.no_.”

She got up and paused to lean over him, hugging him tightly. He sat there awkwardly, unsure how to respond as a woman he didn't remember hugged him and tearfully said that she loved him.

“I'll wait for you to remember,” she promised him, “You will soon, Oswald, it has to come back. We were _so_ happy together!”

He looked confused as she left the room. Then he laid back against his pillows and blinked away tears, angered at his own frustratingly fogged up memory as he tried again and still failed to recall her. She said they had been in love. He wished he could remember, but perhaps he never would and there was nothing he could do to change it...

 

The next day, the search continued for Tetch and his men. When evening came, Stacey listened on the stairs as she heard Victor and Ed talking. Another part of the map had been searched, nothing... She went back upstairs to her room and took out a map of Gotham and the surrounding areas, crossing off more of the woodland. Now the remaining area left unsearched was possible for one person to take on – if they had enough stamina and determination to take on the vast landscape and its dense woodland and the evil that lurked within... she had more than enough of what it took, that mist was rising thicker now and it was being driven by the need for revenge. Tonight Penguin left Gotham. _As soon as he was gone, she would arm herself and set off in search of Tetch..._

 

As the sun set, Selina stood beside a waiting car, and at her side was Ivy Pepper, who stood there with long red hair blowing back in the cold breeze as she looked up at the vast building, and then back at Selina.

“I'm going to say something now.”

Selina gave her a knowing look. Ivy was standing there wrapped in a warm coat patterned with shimmering vines, and that coat seemed to mold to her curves as if the images of nature were trying to climb about her body and become one with it. She was a walking, talking, mother nature and she had intuition like a witch, too...

“Please don't,” Selina looked away towards City Hall.

“No, I'm saying it,” Ivy replied, “He doesn't recall Stacey. Maybe he never will and if you and him get along well enough while you're away, perhaps the two of you can build something worthwhile that will stop that faraway look in your eyes every time I say the name _Penguin!_ Selina, I saw _and_ felt how shocked you were when you heard about the shooting. That was a bit more than concern for a friend. And none of us will be around forever. Make the most of life.”

Selina looked back at Ivy doubtfully.

“It's easy for you to say that! I would love to put my arms around him and give him a big kiss. But what's the point? He will either push me away or he won't, and then -”

“It might be the start of something wonderful!” Ivy said as her eyes shone with enthusiasm, “Okay, it won't be easy, he's recovering from a serious injury and that could take some time – but just think what might happen, if you allow it?”

Selina was too realistic to share her optimism.

“If I allow it, if I go for it, what are the odds on him remembering Stacey and saying, _Sorry Honey, I'm going back to my girlfriend?_ Life isn't like a romance novel, Ivy. It's not all about flowers and roses even if your world might be full of that stuff, there are no roses around my door. Maybe those plants you surround yourself with have put too many romantic ideals in your head. I keep it real. The most I can hope for is a broken heart if I try and get between him and Stacey. That's not a worthwhile plan.”

Ivy stepped closer and lowered her voice, pausing to glance back towards the building. The door had just opened up and Oswald was leaving, he was on his feet and heavily supported by Ed and Victor and wrapped up warmly in his winter coat and wearing his top hat, as they helped him towards the car.

“It's like this, Selina,” said Ivy, “I was there when you heard about the shooting. I saw you fold up and cry. I heard you say his name like a piece of your heart had been torn out. He's getting older. He's older than you! He won't be around forever! It's time to stop making detours over rooftops just to catch a glimpse. Now you can either carry on being Selina the trusted friend who never knows more, or you can take it further and the worst case scenario is living with wonderful memories no one can take away if he goes back to Stacey.”

Selina smiled as she shook her head.

“That won't happen. I'm just spending some time with him -”

“ _Alone!”_

“And I'm going to help him get better -”

“ _Far from the city, just the two of you!”_ teased Ivy.

“Stop it!” Selina said.

Then as Oswald reached the car, Selina opened the passenger door and Ed helped him inside. As Selina turned to join him, Ivy said her name and as she turned back, she hugged her tightly.

“Good luck,” she whispered, giving her a wink as she let go. They exchanged a glance that told of years of friendship and shared secrets, then Selina got into the back of the car with Oswald. As Victor took the wheel and Ed sat in the front beside him, Stacey tapped on the door and Selina opened it.

“Oswald,” she said, and as he looked at her, his eyes lit up with joy,as he held out his arms, but not for Stacey.

“Edward!” he exclaimed, and Stacey passed the dog to him and he held him for a moment, making a big fuss of him, then Selina helped him put Edward on the floor, where he laid down, ready to enjoy the ride to the docks. 

“Thanks, Stacey,” said Selina, briefly glancing at her, then she turned to Oswald and saw he was looking a little weary as he rested against the seat and closed his eyes. Selina gave his hand a squeeze.

“It's okay, Pengie, you can lie down again soon,” she said, and then she reached back and closed the car door and the engine started up and the car drove away, and Stacey was left standing alone outside City Hall. 

She stood there watching as the car drove off, and then she put her hand to her mouth to stifle a sob as she felt as if a piece of her heart had just been torn out and left along with Oswald. Then she turned back and went inside and closed the door. The place felt silent without him. But now he was gone, it was time to carry out her plan. She looked to the stairway and drew in a deep breath as the mist rose in her mind and her eyes darkened with anger. She knew where Victor kept a big weapons stash. She just had to help herself to a few items and then she would be off on a journey too – she would be on the hunt for Tetch...

 

The light was almost gone by the time they reached the docks and the skies above Gotham were filled with shades of twilight. Ed felt like weeping as he thought of the weeks or months Oswald would be away, but he insisted on being the one to carry him to the boat. Oswald had fallen asleep in the car and woken up as Ed had lifted him, then he had closed his eyes again, wondering if he was dreaming or if he was going somewhere...  _Was he leaving Gotham for a while?_ It was all so hazy again. His scar was aching beneath his hat and as he looked to the water he felt dizzy and shut his eyes again. Ed took him on board the boat and then down to a comfortable cabin where the room was warmed by a heater and a bed had been made ready. He laid him on the bed and carefully rested him against pillows, before taking off his hat and placing it on a table nearby.

“Look after him,” Oswald heard Ed say, “And make sure you call me every day!”

“I will! Stop worrying, Ed. He's going to be just fine, I'll take great care of him.”

“And make sure he doesn't get lazy. He's got to start getting more active to help his recovery, and he's got to start walking or his damaged leg will give him a lot of trouble, the muscles are weak and -”

“Ed, I know what I'm doing!” Selina insisted, “Will you please get off this boat so we can leave?”

Oswald opened his eyes. His monocle was in his pocket and the vision in his right eye was blurred as Ed leaned over him.

“Safe journey, Oswald, I'll call you,” he said softly.

Oswald reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze.

“Okay,” he whispered, and Ed kissed his cheek.

“Goodbye, Oswald,” he said, and then he went back up to the deck.

Ed stepped off the boat and walked back to the waiting car. As he got in the passenger seat, he wiped his eyes. 

“Ed,” said Victor, “I know this is hard, but he needs time away from here, he needs peace and quiet to recover. And don't forget, you're guarding his empire. That's a very important job, what you're doing while he's away will mean a lot to him.”

“Yes, it will,” Ed agreed, and now he sounded stronger.

Victor started up the engine and they began the drive back to City Hall in silence. City hall without Penguin was an odd thought for both of them, his absence was something that would take time to accept, they both missed him already...

 

As the boat started off on its journey, night had fallen. Below decks the cabin was cosy and as the boat rocked, Oswald felt it and opened his eyes, looking up at Selina. She was standing next to his bed and Edward was in her arms.

“Hi Daddy!” she said, holding the dog's paw and giving him a little wave.

Oswald smiled and reached for his dog.

Selina placed Edward on the bed and he immediately curled up next to Oswald who rubbed his head and gave his ears a scratch.

“Thank you,” he said as he looked up at Selina.

“What for?” she asked.

“This,” he replied, his eyes reflecting a brief moment of frustration as he failed to voice aloud all he wanted to say, to thank her for being kind enough to help him, to make this journey with him, to look after him when she probably had better things to be doing back in the city...

“All of this,” he added as gratitude shone in his gaze, “I...I appreciate it.”

She smiled down at him. He smiled back and held out his hand and she grasped it. 

“Sit with us,” Oswald whispered.

Selina sat down on the edge of the bed, and Oswald was still holding on to her hand.

“I might....” he gave a sigh, “Sleep...”

“That's okay, sleep if you need to,” she replied.

Then he turned on his side, as he drifted to sleep and he briefly felt like the haze in his mind was pulling him away from reality, he drew her hand closer, 

placing it between his shoulder and his neck as he held it there and snuggled against it. He breathed deeply, sliding into a comfortable rest as she glanced at Edward.

“Your Daddy's stolen my hand,” she remarked, recalling that he was in the habit of doing this to those he was close to since the shooting, he had done it to Victor and to Ed, and now he was doing it to her, and he was resting hard against it. She didn't care if she had a numb hand by the time they were ready to leave the boat... She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, and he smiled in his sleep. She was smiling too, even though he was trapping her hand pretty tight and it was going numb already, as she thought about that stolen kiss.

“What would you say about _that_ , Ivy?” she murmured with a secret smile on her face.

 

Back at City Hall, Ed and Victor were yet to return. Stacey had turned off all thoughts of her heartache, now all that remained was cold rage as she thought about the man responsible for the damage done to her lover.  _Because of Tetch, Oswald couldn't run his empire. Because of Tetch, he no longer remembered who she was or the love they shared..._

The map was folded in the pocket of her jeans. A hunting knife was sheathed at her side. A gun was shoved in her back pocket. She had put on heavy, warm boots and a black vest and over that, she had put on one of Oswald's shirts, a white one that swamped her. She had looked through his vast clothing collection and found a purple coat that looked a little too small for him these days – something he must have worn a few years back– and it had a black fur trim. It came down to her ankles, but it would keep her warm if there was more rain or snow. 

With her weapons concealed, she went through to the bathroom. She turned as she looked into the mirror and the eyes that looked back at her housed a soul that whispered of the sharpness of her blade.  _Tetch was a dead man walking..._

Then she looked to her waist length hair. It would get in the way. It would be easy to grab in a fight. She searched the bathroom, found scissors and gathered her hair at the back of her neck and with a few determined cuts, the blades sliced through it and her hair fell to the floor. She gave her shoulder length hair a shake and then ran her hand through it, holding up the top and grabbing a hair tie. Then she secured it in a short pony tail and turned her head left and right, and picked up Oswald's electric razor and began to shave the side of her head. As she shaved it, she felt no sense of loss. Oswald had lost his hair because of that bullet, this was no great sacrifice. And she needed to _not_ look like Stacey Ripper if she was going to get out of this alive and remain free... She finished shaving one side of her head, then she turned to the mirror and shaved the other side, then she put the razor down and pulled the tie from her hair and ran some water and wet her hands before slicking her hair into a death hawk. Then Stacey walked out of the bathroom and headed for the stairs, her thoughts on leaving for the woodland and tracking down Tetch.

As she reached the front door she heard Olga call her name, but she slipped out and closed the door behind her and walked away from City Hall and into the darkness of the night as she followed the route through alleyways and streets and then across a wasteland, where beyond, in the far distance, the shadow of the woodland was visible, and it was dark out there.

She walked alone, passing street gangs and speeding cars, she heard gunshots exchanged and nothing around her affected her as that voice in her head whispered and she listened. She walked on until the city was behind her and the moonlight lit silver on tree tops. Somewhere in that forest was her enemy. She smiled as cold rage fed the rise of red mist and the craving for bloodshed as those words ran through her head as her hand caressed the sheathed blade at her side:  
 _Yes, my knife is sharp and I can't wait to get to work, Tetch..._

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :-) I hope this fic is being enjoyed!   
> Now, a WARNING:  
> I'm putting a brief warning here because this chapter contains a scene of heavy violence and savage slaughter. Stacey Ripper is starting her killing spree... It might be best not to read that part whilst eating. In fact, it's probably best not to eat anything while reading Stacey Ripper's killings!! Love, Davina :D

Chapter 6

 

The woods were damp and dark. Any snow fall that had scattered was long since melted, the on and off rainfall that had come down in freezing showers had left the ground icy and crisp by morning and by nightfall, it was a mess of sludge mixed with earth and dried leaves. As Stacey made her way into the forest, there were no lights flickering in the distance, no sounds but the rustle of leaves that clattered dead and clinging to branches in defiance, as in the distances, fir trees swayed in the strengthening winds. Here beneath the cover of the dense forest, it was chilly, dark shelter from the world outside and it carried the stink of dead leaves and mud - and that was all.

Stacey stopped, looking about her, catching glimpses of ghostly figures, tree trunks and limbs lit by moonlight where silver rays escaped in through gaps in the partly bare canopy. Nothing moved but the shiver of trees, cold limbs disturbed by the wind that had started to howl beyond the shelter of the woodland. She kept walking, as the cold tried to grab her attention with its bites at her flesh. _It didn't matter._ That rage she held alongside the need for revenge was enough to make the iciest of chills insignificant. And blood was _very_ warm when it spurted fresh...

“ _Where are you Tetch?”_ she murmured, casting a glance about the darkened wood. Again, nothing but moonlit trees shaking on the wind came back as an answer.

_Deeper. That was where she had to go, she knew it by instinct: He was hiding out, far out in some edge of the map shithole place as he waited to find out if the assassination attempt had worked._ He didn't know what the outcome would be, not after that phone call she had made, vowing revenge. Had he really thought she would have killed Oswald and never known why? The arrogant bastard and his  _Tick,Tick, Tick_ had given it away.  _What would Tetch have done when he had realised that? Maybe he had laughed. Or maybe he had shit his pants._ Any spies sent into the city would have come back with the news that the shooting was minor and Penguin was just fine, that deliberately spread rumour would have got back to him... What would his allies have said about that? No one wanted to call a war on Penguin, they knew what the outcome would be. Was Tetch all alone now with his fuck up, all alone and waiting for either the storm to pass or the fight to begin? His territory had been searched. He had gone elsewhere.  _He had to be hiding!_

Up ahead she heard the sound of running water and started to smile. Out here, in the wilds, water was essential. If they were camped out, it made sense to follow the river. She hadn't ruled out the possibility there was a safe house somewhere, maybe several buildings, an isolated area, maybe a secret hideaway. She was miles from the city now and this woodland was deserted. There had to be signs of life somewhere...

She reached a clearing where the limbs of skeleton trees reached skyward and moonlight spilled in. Down a steep bank, a stream shone silvery as it ran towards a larger river. She began to follow the bank in the direction of the river, visibility was better here, there were less trees and more room by the bank to walk by the pale light. The river soon widened and became deeper as she heard the sound of the water as it flowed and it looked inky by night. By now she was exhausted, and there was no sign of Tetch.

She saw a rocky terrain up ahead and the sight of the dark cave with its mouth yawning wide was a welcome one as she headed towards it. Then light rain began to fall and she slipped inside the cave, sheltering from the downpour as she took the map from her pocket and used the torch on her phone, then she studied the map, crossing off the area she had covered. Now she was beside the river. There wasn't much more of the territory to search, it would take maybe a day – but she needed sleep first. She huddled up in Oswald's warm coat and closed her eyes, saving her strength for the demands that daybreak would bring...

 

Far away from the city, across the water and on the mainland, the journey to the safe house had been over by one am. They had left the boat and been taken by car to a small building just outside a town, they were close to the road, and that road led over a bridge to lead into town. The place was old and cosy and best of all it was on one level, so Oswald didn't have to struggle with staircases. Selina had taken him inside, left him to rest in one of the two bedrooms in the tiny place, and left Edward with him, she had paused in the doorway to watch him lay back and close his eyes, giving an exhausted sigh, then she had turned on the heating and checked out the kitchen. It was stocked up, she would not have to get food for a while. The place looked as if it had not been decorated for at least two decades, it had a faded, rustic feel about it, and it was perfect for Oswald to rest and enjoy peace and quiet. The small garden at the back was fenced off so she could open the door in the mornings for Edward and not worry about him wandering off, too.

Selina had left her bags and Oswald's in her room, planning to unpack for him in the morning, then she had looked in on him one more time, he was fast asleep, on his side. He had grabbed at the cover and pulled it over himself, and he was still fully clothed, apart from his hat, which was next to the bed. She wondered if she ought to wake him and help him undress, but it was late and he was exhausted, so she left him to sleep and went into her own room next door to his, and then she kicked off her boots and started to undress as she suddenly felt weary. the journey had been long and it was late and she had worried constantly for Oswald, who had spent most of the time sleeping and when he did wake, the change of surroundings had at times been confusing. She hoped a few hours sleep would be enough to set her right, because now she was taking care of him, she needed to have energy for both of them, all the time...

 

The sound came at her like rushing water as Stacey woke up, cold and stiff inside the cave, she thought about the river and wondered if it was about to overflow, then she blinked away sleep and got up, paused to study the map and stumbled from the cave. The rain was pouring heavily, and she went back inside, knowing she would have to wait for it to stop – she would be in no shape to take on Tetch if she froze to death in soaking wet clothing...

She checked the time. It was seven thirty am. The light was breaking through cloudy skies, in the distance the skies looked clearer and by the direction of the wind, the rain would soon move off. She waited, watching, impatient to leave and move on.

 

“ _Penguin...”_

As Selina said his name, he turned over and pushed off the covers, feeling too hot under his coat and other layers of clothing. The room was warm and he realised he had slept fully clothed since the night before. Selina had been up for a while, she had showered and changed her clothes, then she had unpacked his stuff and put it away and left his empty bag on top of a wardrobe, his meds were next to the bed, she had organised everything and now she was placing a cup of tea next to the bed and as he sat up, he blinked away sleep, reaching for his monocle and placing it over his damaged eye.

“Good morning,” she said with a smile.

“Morning, Cat,” he replied, and as he reached for the tea, she watched as he carefully sipped it and then put it down again, feeling relieved he still had a steady grip after all he had been through.

“Thank you,” he added, glancing to the tea.

“We're going to have to work on these short answers of yours,”she told him, “I know it's hard but you have to get into the habit of speaking whole sentences again.”

Oswald gave a sigh.

“Okay.”

She laughed.

“You just did it again! Don't be lazy!”

As she smiled he did too, and his face flushed as he saw the fondness in her gaze – it had always been there, for many years, but he had never really thought about that until now.

“You...must be very bored, looking... after me. I'm not much...fun at the present time.”

She stared at him.

“Keep going.”

Oswald looked at her apologetically.

“You...are very kind to do this... for me.”

She started to smile.

“You _can_ talk!”

“No, it's not....very good, Cat.”

“But it's going to get better,” she reminded him, then to his surprise she leaned in and gave him a hug. It wasn't brief, she was still holding him as he raised his arm and wrapped it around her, giving her a squeeze. As she drew back, he looked as surprised as he felt.

“What...was _that_ for?”

Selina felt caught out as she stepped back, and she covered it with a smile.

“Free hugs, just something else I offer... along with nagging you to get your speech flowing again! So, what would you like for breakfast, the kitchen's well stocked.”

“Eggs,” he said, “And bacon. Can you fry it?”

“Wouldn't you like something healthy?”

He laughed.

“No, Cat,” he said, and as he smiled back at her, she knew her face was flushing.

“Okay, one fried breakfast coming up for my chubby Penguin!” she announced, and it was only after she left the room she realised she had called him _my penguin_...

“Oops...” she said with a giggle, and went through to the kitchen.

 

While Selina was gone, Oswald got out of bed and slowly and carefully limped out of the room, leaning on furniture and doorways for support, until he made it to the bathroom. Then he went inside, sat down on the closed toilet seat and began to undress. Taking a shower without help was easier than he thought, but he still had to keep his scar away from the hot water because although it was healing, it was still painful. When Selina heard the water running, she had knocked on the door and asked if he was okay.

“ _Yes,”_ was the one word reply she received, and then she went back to the kitchen feeling mildly surprised. It seemed he was getting stronger by the day. To know he could get out of bed by himself was a huge relief, he had seemed so weak when he left City Hall, but that distance from the doorway to the car had been lengthy and probably intimidating for him in such a weakened state.

By the time she returned to his room with breakfast, Oswald was back in bed, sitting up and wrapped in a warm bathrobe. She reminded him he had medication to take and he gave a sigh.

“I'd rather not.”

“You need it,” she responded, and she handed him pills and a glass of water, watching as he took his medication.

“We have a car here,” she told him, “When you feel up for it, we can got for a drive into town.”

“Not today,” he replied, and reached for his breakfast. Then he paused, glancing up at her again.

“Edward.”

She gave him a knowing look, thinking, _Oh no you don't, Oswald... full sentence, please..._

“Edward?”

He looked at her, waiting for her answer.

“Edward is a cute dog?” she suggested.

There was a flash of annoyance in his eyes.

“Edward is your baby?”

His eyes narrowed.

“If you don't tell me, I don't know!” she exclaimed, “Don't be lazy. You did it just now, do it again!”

Oswald took a deep breath, pulling words from his hazy mind.

“Have you fed him? Edward needs his breakfast!”

Selina's eyes sparkled.

“You said that without a single pause! Yes, I have fed him.... and you're getting better, a lot better than you realise! I think, in a couple of months, you'll be recovered. I know the doctor said it could take longer, but they don't know you, they don't know how tough you are, Penguin!”

He saw admiration in her eyes. He wished she would hug him again, but instead, she reminded him to eat his food before it got cold, and then she left the room.

After she had walked away, he looked fondly to the door and wanted to call her back. _Selina_. All the years he had known her had come rushing back at him, they had been through so much change in the city and survived war and battles and here they were, together.... he felt warmth spreading through his heart that went deeper than fondness. He knew it had been that way for a long while, he had been in the habit of standing outside City Hall at a certain time each evening to watch Cat on the rooftops, she always saw him standing there and she always smiled and he always waved... He tried to recall Stacey, but no memories would come. But Selina Kyle? He had memories of knowing her that stretched back many, many years, and he had just realised how much he appreciated her closeness, now more than ever...

 

Back at City Hall, Ed was sat at Oswald's desk as he drew up his plans. This was not what Oswald would have approved of. He knew it as drew up lists of names and locations. But to Ed, this was the only way to be sure the balance of power would not be challenged again. Oswald had the biggest stake in the whole of the carved up territories, and they had to hold on to that no matter what... To Ed, there was only one way to do it, and it would mean bloodshed on a large scale...

“I can't find her,” Victor said as he walked into the room.

Ed was still distracted by his plans.

“Who?”

“Stacey, she went out last night and didn't come back?”

“Oh... yes. I recall she went missing. Maybe she just needs time alone.”

Victor shook his head.

“You're unbelievable, Ed! Time alone would be crying in her room, not hacking off her hair and stealing a hunting knife and a gun! She's gone after Tetch!”

Ed looked up from the plans laid out on the desk.

“And as much as I hope she's okay, I have to focus on the hunt for Tetch! I've got a search party out there right now, why don't you go and join them – on the way you might find Stacey.”

Frustration reflected in Victor's eyes.

“You know how bad I want to kill Tetch.”

“And we must remember the murder back in London, Victor. Stacey can handle herself!”

“But Penguin can't remember her. She's lost him, she has nothing left. In that frame of mind she might _not_ be able to handle herself.”

Ed gave a sigh as he pushed aside the plans.

“There's not much of the outer sectors left to search. I've got a team out there this morning, they may not be back for a couple of days. It's all forest land, if you leave now and take the highway as far it goes, you can maybe catch them by tonight. By then, they might have Tetch – unless Stacey got to him first - or he got to her.”

Victor stepped closer to the desk, looking down at Ed's carefully drawn up plans.

“You're really gonna carry out this slaughter?”

Ed looked up at him and smiled.

“Yes,” he said as his eyes shone dark with the need for revenge, “It has always been Oswald's wish that if he was unable to run his turf, I would take over – and that's what I'm doing in his absence, when he comes back, I want to be damned sure that shit like this doesn't happen to him again!”

“To hold on to the turf?” asked Victor doubtfully.

Ed glared at him, sensing Victor had just seen through that statement to the truth of the matter.

“Not just the turf,” he said, “I want to make sure no one can ever harm Oswald again!”

“So...” Victor stepped closer to the desk and shifted the paper over, “Our intelligence states that Tetch was smuggling in arms for Scarecrow and Jeremiah Velaska. So you're going to send out death squads to take out scores of their men, leaving them with more or less no armies?”  
“And the bodies will be stacked in the streets,” Ed replied, grinning like Riddler was about about to take a bow at the Riddle Factory.

“I think Penguin would disapprove of this. He wouldn't like bodies in the streets, Ed. He would think about the ordinary people who might see them – little kids, and little old ladies who remind him of his Mother.”

“Oswald is not well enough to make these decisions,” Ed replied coldly, “He barely survived that assassination attempt! I want him to return to a secure turf with his enemies either dead or ready to kiss his boots. The plan is to send in a death squad to hit Scarecrow's people tomorrow night. By then word will get back to Velaska. He's either going to fight back or weigh it up and realise the sensible thing to do is swear allegiance to Penguin. I don't think Velaska will want a massacre on his turf, our army is bigger, and he has his family to think about. How many kids does he have now with Ecco? Four, or five? I'm sure he wants to know his family are safe. And Ecco won't take another bullet to the head and live to tell the tale.”

Victor shook his head as he looked at Ed.

“Penguin won't like this. I don't like this either! The boss doesn't go all out destruction unless he has to, because he knows a weakened enemy is most likely going to become a surrendered ally. What's this death squad carrying?”

Ed leaned back in his seat as he thought about his plan and revenge burned cold in his eyes.

“Guns, grenades and flamethrowers. There's gonna be one hell of a barbecue.”

Victor took a breath and exhaled slowly, shaking his head.

“Charred bodies stacked up in the streets? People splattered in pieces up walls and over side walks? Penguin would not approve of this. And you're only doing it because its personal! Admit it Ed, your heart broke when the boss took that bullet. _This is about you_.”

Ed stood up sharply. As he glared at Victor, his hair hung uncombed in his eyes and he looked tired from lack of sleep after spending hours drawing up his plans. And nothing would stop him now...

“Me?” he said darkly, “This is about the turf! It's about protecting everything Oswald has built up and worked for, suffered and sacrificed for over the years! And if my feelings come into it then yes, a small part of this _is_ for me and the need for revenge - for what happened to Oswald!”

Victor stayed calm, shaking his head again as he looked at Ed.

“This is about _you_ getting mad because you realised too late how much he means to you - and what happened to him with the shooting tore out your heart. Now you just want to lash out at every person who ever posed a minor threat to his turf! It won't make you feel better. Why don't you just let it go?”

Ed's eyes burned with fury.

“ _Let it go?”_ he fumed, _“Let it go? Do I look like Elsa to you?”_

Victor rolled his eyes and turned away.

“I'm going to grab my guns and get out there and track down Tetch,” he replied, “And hopefully along the way, I'll find Stacey. As for this plan of yours to kill scores of people because someone put a bullet in your lost love – handle that yourself. I want no part of this massacre!” Then Victor walked out, leaving Ed alone with his plans as he stared after him in disbelief... _Oswald's oldest, most trusted assassin didn't want to be a part of his plans? No matter,_ Ed thought darkly, _the killings would go ahead with or without the presence of Victor Zsasz..._

 

Now the rain had finally stopped, Stacey made her way out of the cave and started on the journey along the riverbank. The ground was muddy and slippery and her boots sank with every step, she kept a distance from the water as the cold bit deeply and only the thought of the knife at her side kept her going. Now she was hungry and thirsty too, she had not expected the route she had taken to have been delayed or have needed an overnight stay in the cave to seek shelter. Then a flicker of firelight caught her eye, it glowed like a beacon in the grey chill of morning light and she made her way back from the bank, covered by the shade of the treeline as she watched, seeing two men stood over a campfire. The flames flickered warmly and the smell of food was in the air. Stacey edged closer, sticking to the treeline as the men came into closer view she noticed they were armed.

The campfire cracked as she stepped into view. The two men turned, with weapons raised. She smiled.

“Hello!” she said warmly, “I might need your help. I'm looking for the man who killed Penguin. I want to tell him how grateful I am!”

She forced a bright smile. The two guys exchanged a glance, taking in the sight of the attractive girl with the death hawk who really didn't seem to pose a threat to anyone.. she was small and slender and apparently, unarmed, too...

“You want to see Mr Tetch?” asked the taller guy.

“That's right,” she replied, taking silent note that this one would have to be a stab to the guts because of the height difference.

“So Penguin was an enemy of yours?” said the shorter man, “He's dead, you're sure?”

“I'm very sure what dead looks like,” she replied, smiling again as she stepped closer.

“Did you see him?” asked the taller man as he exchanged a glance with his companion – if this girl had brought genuine news of Penguin's death, their boss would be hugely relieved...

“Tell us more,” said the other guy, and he gestured to a log near the warm fire.

Stacey sat down, keeping Oswald's long coat wrapped about her tightly as she shivered.

“I am so cold!” she looked to the sausages sizzling over the heat.

“And starving,” she added.

“Tell us about Penguin, then we can take you to Tetch. His place is just through those trees, in the clearing,” said the taller guy as he shifted closer, and his companion sat the other side of her, leaning closer still as he added, “Tell us what death looks like!”

She looked down at the fire and started to laugh, then she looked from one man to the other as she carried on giggling, as if she alone knew the punchline to a joke they were yet to hear.

“ _It looks like this!”_

There was a flash of silver as Stacey drew out the knife, stabbing up through the throat of one man, then she turned and plunged the blade into the guts of the other. Blood sprayed into the fire and over the sausages, then the taller man fell face first into the flames. She stabbed again at the other guy, slicing the blade from ear to ear as the grey morning was lit with a crimson spurt, as she stood on the back of his companion the flames hissed and spat and sparks flew off the fire as human flesh burned.

And then, it was quiet. Stacey pushed the dead man off the log as blood carried on leaking from his throat, and she paused to sheathed the knife before reaching into the pan with bloodstained fingers and plucking out a sausage. She started to eat it as she paced the fire side, taking in the warmth as she looked about the tree line. Then as she reached for a second sausage and started to eat, her eyes lit up with glee as she spotted two fallen branches. They were strong enough, and her mind was ablaze with pretty thoughts of colourful ideas to mark the spot and strike fear into the hearts of her enemies...

_I would like to get to work, and make such pretty work of it..._

She finished the second sausage then licked the meat juice from her bloody fingers. Then she fetched one fallen branch and drove it into the soft earth, and placed the other branch beside it... two stakes...

The knife was a mix of red on silver and it all looked shiny as she set to work.

_My knife's so nice and sharp..._

The blade bit deep and cutting through bone took some effort, but as the first head rolled free, she left it there and set to work on the second, sawing and slicing with the hunting blade until she heard a crack and the other man's head was also severed. She laughed as it struck her that human heads were actually rather heavy, and then she pushed one on to a stake, then she staked the other one, and the second one was impaled with a squelch. Then she looked down at the headless bodies...

She was sure she was channelling her ancestor as she propped the two bodies up against the log, then slit their bellies and unravelled a mass of intestines. She grabbed a handful from one victim, then other other, and as they trailed off from the bodies and hit the frying pan with a sizzle she laughed. What a sight would greet her enemies:

_Two heads on stakes and the bodies with their guts frying on a campfire..._

Then, with the stench of frying intestines rising in the air, she set off into the woods, in search of Tetch.

“ _Where are you?”_ she murmured as she headed for the clearing, as her hand brushed impatiently against her sheathed blade, _“Come and meet my sharp knife...we're going to have SO much fun!”_

 

While Stacey headed deeper into the wilds to seek out Tetch, far away, Oswald wasn't even thinking of Stacey, who he could still not recall. He had spent a few hours that morning resting in bed, then he had decided to join Selina in the front room. It was a small place, tiny compared to his palatial residence at City Hall, but the fire was burning brightly and the place was warm and cosy - and he had been resting on a sofa for less than ten minutes when he had drifted off to sleep again. Selina had left him to sleep and gone into her room finish unpacking the rest of her stuff, and that was when she had found something hidden in her bag: It was a jar of rather exotic scented skin cream, handmade, if she wasn't mistaken, the work of Ivy Pepper, and there was a note wrapped around it:

_Here's some massage cream...Pengie could probably do with a massage, you said his backs been stiff since he's been laid up, and I thought it might help break the ice – if you're feeling brave enough! Love, Ivy!_

Selina smiled as she shook her head, reading the note again.

“Ivy!” she muttered, “Why did you do this? _Stop_ encouraging me!”

She thought of Oswald asleep on the couch as the firelight flickered softly, and she smiled again... _Why not? His back had been stiff, so had his damaged leg... it wouldn't do any harm to help ease his discomfort..._ She had no intention of taking things any further no matter how hard Ivy was pushing her to do it. But it didn't change the fact that she wanted to...

 

“Penguin, I've got something for you.”

Oswald opened his eyes and looked up at her. Selina was standing next to the sofa holding a jar in her hand, the lid was off and it carried a very exotic scent that brought to mind the kind of plants Ivy grew in her greenhouse.

What is it?” he asked as he sat up slowly.

“A little something from Ivy, to help your aches and pains,” she replied.

Oswald felt a little awkward as he sat there looking up at her.

“You want to... put it on me?”

“That would be the easiest way,” Selina replied, and she looked to the soft rug by the fire, then she grabbed a cushion off a nearby chair and placed it on the floor.

“Lie down.”

He looked back at her awkwardly

“I'm not sure -”

“Lie down and let me help you!” she insisted.

Oswald leaned heavily on the arm of the chair as he got up, then he was mildly surprised to find his balance was improving as he limped over to the rug. Selina reached for him, and as they stood close, he looked into her eyes and then looked away, feeling suddenly too aware of just how close she was, and how much he liked it. He struggled clumsily as he got down on his knees, then he gave a hiss of pain as too much weight fell on his damaged leg, and Selina was quick to help him lie down, taking care to be sure the cushion was behind his head as he lay there on the rug, on his back, in just a bathrobe. 

As she knelt down beside him he tensed, thinking about how his body was not what it used to be, how he was heavier these days, he had a little roll of fat around his belly and his body was covered with scars from old battles, stab wounds, bullet wounds... and someone as beautiful as Selina wanted to run her hand over him? It hardy seemed fair on her...

“My body is...not what it used to be,” he said softly, looking up at her apologetically. 

Selina leaned over him and affectionately touched the pointed tip of his nose.

“You really think I'd notice that?” she asked, “But I'll tell you what I did notice, you're barely hesitating now, your speech is flowing much better! I think this is what you needed, to get away from the city, away from the pressure and the responsibility, you just needed peace to start healing.”

She looked radiant by the glow of the firelight as she looked down at him, and the thought struck him that she was so close, if he raised his head he could kiss her. That thought seemed to come wrapped in a promise that he had new confidence, it had come from making love and losing his inhibitions along with all his fears and his negativity about his body... but he could still not recall who his lover had been. He wanted to remember Stacey, but the memory was simply not there...

He took a deep breath, trying to relax as Selina began to rub the scented lotion into his ankle. It felt warm and soothing, taking out the aches and pains that had been much worse after getting back on his feet after several weeks of bed rest. He couldn't help the sigh that escaped his lips as he closed his eyes and as Selina glanced up at him, she saw he had the trace of a smile on his face.

“I could fall asleep...” he murmured.

“Don't you dare fall asleep on me!” she teased, “Or I'll think I'm boring you!”

Oswald laughed.

“You could never do that, my dear,” he said, opening his eyes and meeting her gaze.

For a moment the two of them just looked at each other, then Selina moved up to his shattered knee and began to gently rub in the cream as heat eased away the dull, persistent aches that even the meds he took to kill the pain of his healing scar did nothing to alleviate. Then her hands moved up above his knee, massaging tension away from his thigh and then he reached for her hand, taking hold of it as he met her gaze.

“That's enough,” he said softly.

The look in her eyes surprised him, it was as if he had just denied her something beautiful, but as he thought of his overweight, scarred old body he felt sure he had in fact spared her an ordeal if the thought had crossed her mind to get a little more intimate...  _Did she want to do that? Did she really want to do that after all these years?_

“Would you like me to take care of your back?” she asked.

“It's fine,” he replied.

“Do you want me to help you up, or do you want to stay on the floor?” she added.

He laughed as he looked up at her. 

“I am...comfortable. I will stay here for now.”

“Okay,” Selina said, “I'll keep you company!”

And to his surprise, she grabbed another cushion off the chair and placed it next to his, then laid down on the floor beside him. He froze, lying there with a stunned look on his face as he fixed his gaze on the low ceiling of the small front room, then as he turned his head, so did she, and she started to giggle.

“The look on your face!” she said.

“What are you doing?” he asked cautiously. 

She turned on her side, looking into his eyes.

“I just wanted to keep you company....” suddenly her expression was one of thoughts far away, “How long have we known each other, twenty years?”

“Or more,” he agreed.

He reached for her hand, and as she let him take it, she laughed softly.

“Don't steal it and roll on it and fall asleep, my hand will go numb!”

“I'll try not to.”

He pulled her hand closer, sliding it up the shoulder of his bathrobe as he turned on his side to face her. Now her hand was resting between his shoulder and his neck, and he was pressing on it as his eyes grew heavy.

“Why do you that?” she asked softly.

Oswald blinked, fighting off the urge for sleep.

“It keeps me...here,” he said, “I get cloudy sometimes... but if I have a hand to hold...”

“It brings you back to reality?”

He nodded.

“Then I guess it's worth a numb hand,” she replied, and as she kissed his cheek, surprise registered in his gaze.

For a moment they said nothing, as they exchanged a glance that for both of them brought to mind the days long ago when they had spoken of leaving war torn Gotham together. Then Selina looked over his shoulder at the firelight as she spoke again.

“There was a time years ago when I wanted to kiss you. Right after we talked about leaving the city. I just wanted to grab hold of you and kiss you, Penguin. And you know what? I still do...”

She fell silent, just as she noticed he was leaning hard on her hand, trapping it as his breathing became slow and even. As she looked at him, she knew he had missed her confession, he had slipped into relaxing sleep as he lay beside her.

“ _I still want to kiss you,”_ she whispered, and then she shifted closer, kissing his cheek, and then she rested her head against his shoulder, putting her arm around him as they lay side by side on the rug next to the fire and she felt as if being in his arms suddenly felt like the place she had longed to be all of her life. 

But Oswald knew nothing of it as he lay beside her, sleeping on, taking more much needed rest as Selina's hand slowly went numb, but she had a smile on her face as she held him closer. It had just struck her as rather funny to think that that one day she would be happy just to be lying on the floor, her hand getting squashed and going numb, she would be glad just to be here, next to someone whose name was carved deeply into her heart – she had just started to realise how deep that love went. It made everything worth it, even the pins and needles sensation in her hand that would start up when he finally moved and let go. 

“ _I love you, Penguin,”_ she whispered, as he slept on and the secret was shared only with the firelight, and Edward, who was on the other side of the room, sleeping deeply curled up next to an armchair. 

Selina gave a contented sigh and closed her eyes, deciding when they woke, maybe she would be a little more courageous and dare to steal that kiss that had waited for years to be shared. All those times they had looked at each other in the past, her on the rooftop and him on the ground outside City Hall – it had all been leading to this. She didn't want to fight it any more because she had understood the truth that hid inside her heart – and now, the time had never felt more right to voice it aloud...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again :-)  
> Warning: This chapter contains scenes of heavy slaughter and violence. Also death of a major (canon) character. After this it gets lighter, I promise!!   
> Love Davina x

Chapter 7

 

He was sleeping, and Selina was watching him sleep. Now and then, Penguin moved his hand up to the scar on his head, now partly hidden by short, soft hair that was growing back and he scratched at it, then as he felt discomfort, Selina caught his hand, drawing it away from the itch as the wound healed. He was sleeping deeply and in all the time he had been resting on the floor she had been watching him, feeling even more certain that nothing could be more right than to be here, at his side, as the firelight flickered and she watched the rise and fall of his chest as his lips parted and he breathed easily. He still had the same handsome face, time had done little to age him and he still had those pretty, long eyelashes that framed his striking eyes. _So what if he had gained a little weight? She didn't want to change him, she loved him just as he was._

Selina had her hand back now he had rolled over and she had slid it free from his grasp and as she carefully got up from the floor, pins and needles tingled as she rubbed the back of it to get her circulation going again. Edward was whining at the door. She let him out into the garden, then refilled his bowl with fresh water and started preparing dinner. Once the oven was on and the smell of food was drifting through the house it felt even more like it ought to be their home. She felt an ache in her heart as she thought of the city and the life she had built there. _She didn't want to go back. She wished it could just be her and Penguin, here in this tiny place where they could live like ordinary people, forever..._

Light snow had started to fall and the tiny flakes caught on the remainder of the winter sun as they drifted downward shimmering. Selina watched from the window and as Edward came back into the house he gave himself a shake as droplets of melted snow flew about. She gave him dinner in the kitchen by the closed back door, and then made some more tea and took it through to the front room, leaving it on the coffee table.

And there he was, still asleep in front of the fire, on his side and resting so peacefully it seemed unfair to wake him... She returned to the bedroom and took a blanket off the bed, then draped it over him, just to be sure he was comfortable now the fire was burning low. The heating was on, but it was the thought of the snow outside and just how much she needed to be certain he was warm enough. He cuddled up in the blanket and murmured something and carried on sleeping. Dinner was in the oven and would take a couple of hours. Selina guessed he would be hungry when he woke up so she went back to the kitchen and made a big pile of sandwiches, then set them down on the table next to the tea, and finally, she knelt down on the floor beside him, gently stroking his cheek.

“Penguin... time to wake up!”

He caught her hand and she laughed softly as he tried to steal it again.

“No, no – _wake up!_ ” she said as amusement crept into her voice.

He heard her this time and he turned on his back, slowly opening his eyes. As he looked up and saw her beside him, he smiled.

“Did I sleep for long?”

“Three hours!” she exclaimed, “And that's quite enough for day time sleep, Penguin!”

He caught her hand again, holding it gently as he looked into her eyes.

“Oswald,” he replied, “Call me Oswald, Selina.”

“Oswald,” she said softly.

Their gaze had locked again, and for all the secret dreams she had ever had about him, she felt stuck for words in that moment.

“I made you some tea,” she said.

“Thank you, my dear.”

He sat up on the rug, then reached for the tea on the coffee table.

“And sandwiches,” she added, “Dinner won't be ready until later – I'm making a beef stew.”

“You are so thoughtful,” he told her as gratitude shone in his gaze.

She smiled.

“Your speech is getting better every day. It's happening fast.”

“In such... perfect company, I expect no less,” he told her, and in that moment, aside from the brief pause between words, he had sounded just like Penguin again.

Oswald reached for a small sandwich on top of the pile, and as he drew it away from the plate Selina darted forward in a fluid, cat like movement, snatching it away with a delicate bite.

“First one's mine!” she said as she started to eat the sandwich.

Oswald laughed.

“What's in them?”

“Tuna,” she replied as she shifted closer to him and took another bite, “Cats like fish.”

Their eyes met. Oswald was still amused as he gave his reply.

“So do penguins!” and he reached back, snatching a sandwich before she had chance to make a grab for it, and she laughed as he took a bite and victory shone in his gaze.

“You move fast for a guy who's recovering from a bullet wound!” she exclaimed.

Amusement danced in his eyes.

“It's a sandwich, Selina. Of course I moved fast, I _love_ food!”

He finished his sandwich and then drank more of his tea and set the tea back down, then turned to Selina who was sat on the floor beside him as the firelight flickered warmly.

“You're starting to look better,” she said softly.

“I'm feeling better,” he replied, “Maybe it's us.”

“ _Us?”_

She didn't want to read too much into that remark, because she had not dared to let her hopes climb that high so soon...

Oswald reached out and placed his hand on her cheek, and his touch was warm and soft.

“ _Us,”_ he repeated.

As they exchanged a glance, no words were needed as they both drew closer and shared a gentle kiss by firelight. As they both drew back, Selina's eyes filled with the deepest, softest expression of love as she blinked away tears.

“What took you so long?” she whispered.

Oswald put his arm around her slender waist and smiled.

“You were always up on that damned rooftop! How could I kiss you from _that_ great height?”

They laughed together, and then as his gaze darkened and he drew her closer, he got the feeling that once, he would have been crippled by shyness and to do something as bold as this would have been impossible, but not now. Another lover before her had given him all the confidence he needed... Perhaps it had been Stacey, but for now, she was just a name, and when he pictured her in his mind, it was all a blank...

But none of that mattered as he drew Selina down on to the rug and kissed her deeply, with passion as she ran her hand gently over his cropped hair, taking care not to touch his sensitive scar. It came as a huge relief to Oswald to know he had become instantly hard – after taking that bullet to the head he had wondered exactly how much damage his body had suffered, he hadn't even thought about getting aroused until now, but thankfully, there wasn't a problem... They said nothing as they breathed hard, exchanging tender kisses, then Selina paused to take off her short black skirt, then she took off her underwear, and as he drew her back into his arms he untied his bathrobe, letting it fall open as she rained kisses down on his chest, then worked lower. To his great surprise, she took her time as she kissed slowly and deliberately over his thick waistline before going lower still and taking him in her mouth gently, it felt somewhere between a suck and a loving kiss and it made him gasp. The sound of him acknowledging that moment of pleasure sent a shiver through her body as she ached for him, then Oswald reached for her, taking hold of her hands and drawing her back upward. He kissed her again, then as their fingers laced together and he rolled, pinning her beneath him, he looked into her eyes.

“Are you sure, my love?” he whispered.

“Yes, I've never been so sure about anything, Oswald,” she promised him, and he briefly struggled to position his damaged knee, then he let go of her hands, drawing her into a gentle embrace as she welcomed him between her parted legs and he thrust into her for the first time.

That moment of joining saw them both catch their breath, as their gaze locked and they panted softly and he moved carefully and she moved with him, it was gentle, tender lovemaking, full of soft breaths and loving kisses and as he neared his peak she held him tighter. He panted harder, closing his eyes, and as he came he gave a soft gasp, throbbing inside her as she whispered that she loved him.

“I love you too,” he panted as they separated and lay side by side next to the fire. Then they exchanged a glance and Selina smiled.

“Would you like another sandwich, Oswald?”

He laughed.

“Yes please!”

Selina reached for the plate and set it down beside them, then they sat up together, leaning against the sofa with the blanket over them as they shared a gentle embrace, talked about the old days, and Selina fed her lover tuna sandwiches.

 

Far away out in the wilds, Stacey's boots sunk into mud as she made her way over uneven ground, weaving her way through dense woodland where trees prevented a clear path, and just as she reached the place where the heavy coverage stopped, she glimpsed a clearing beyond: There was a big, old house in the middle of ground that had been left to ramble. Once this place had been a fine estate but she could only guess how many years it had taken for nature to start reclaiming the land as vines grew twisted, snaking up smooth grey walls and in through cracked windows. This was clearly not a chosen refuge, but one taken out of necessity. As she saw armed guards about the place, she knew at once she had found the place where Tetch was hiding away – and he was definitely hiding far out, so very far from the city, as he waited on the outcome of his attack...Something was making him nervous... _Was he anticipating a revenge strike? And where were these allies he claimed to have? He seemed to be quite isolated out here with little back up..._ She reached for her concealed blade, deciding to creep up on the guard just up ahead who stood alone, looking towards the house. Then a sharp blow to the back of her head sent her crashing to the ground and the world turned dark.

 

When she had been carried into the crumbling mansion, Tetch had gestured to a dusty chaise long and had his gunman drape her delicately across it. The sight of Stacey Ripper wrapped in an old coat of Penguin's was quite fascinating. Clearly, the girl posed no threat, there was nothing of her, she was short and delicate and that death hawk hair looked rather fetching on her...He noticed she was stained with blood and assumed the poor little thing had an accident on her long hike through the forest... She was still out cold as he dismissed the guards from the big room with cracked walls and paper peeling off where damp had laid claim to the place. The guards lingered outside the open doorway.

Tetch was on a padded sofa, looking intently at Stacey. As her eyes snapped open, she was greeted by the sideways view of him as he sat opposite her. The room was crumbling and damp, an urbex explorer's dream. This house had long ago fallen to ruin... She sat up sharply as her head ached, then she glared at Tetch... _Had his men searched her?_ No, she could feel the gun jammed into her back pocket and there was still a reassuring weight to that knife sheathed at her side. Oswald's coat had hidden her weapons and clearly in his arrogance, Tetch had assumed this small, slightly built woman posed no threat what so ever...

 _Big mistake, Tetch,_ that voice whispered darkly in her mind, and it made her smile. That smile caught him off guard as his expression registered unease.

“You seem strangely happy to be my prisoner, Stacey.”

“Well, life with Oswald wasn't great,” she replied, “I was bored with him anyway. You probably did me a favour, getting me to shoot him. Then I decided, why be angry? You're _much_ better looking than him and from what I hear, you might be taking over his turf soon. Is there room for me in your plans?”

He was stunned at her change of attitude, and clearly delighted.

“Perhaps,” he replied, “And you flatter me so deeply, Stacey...” he looked her up and down, then gave a wistful sigh.

“If only you looked like Alice. I could put you in her clothes and then we would have some some wonderful nights together...”

“Alice?” she asked.

“My lost love,” he replied.

She smiled as she sat up and lowered her legs to the floor, then shifted the coat just enough to give him a glimpse of her thighs wrapped in tight jeans. _Yes, he was dumb enough to fall for this. She could tell by the look on his face..._

“Was she as pretty as me?” she asked, reaching up for a strand of hair and winding it around her finger. Tetch smiled again.

“It seems I won't have to resort to mind control for you any more.”

“Well, Stacey replied, “Looks are everything, right? I can see myself on your arm...”

Tetch reached over to the table beside him and sipped from a glass.

“All things are negotiable, Stacey – but you must understand if we are to have an arrangement, you will accept my love for Alice shall never die. I will have to hypnotise you to accept it if you resist.”

“I don't object,” she said.

He looked at her. She could feel him reaching in, like tentacles probing her mind. He found no resistance there, just openness and honesty. She really did mean what she said... Stacey felt the cold tentacles retreat, he had done his mind probing. But that invisible power of his was something she was ready for now, and she knew how to resist it, all she had to do was sense it coming and fake the rest... Her mind was easily strong enough to do that, especially now her knife was impatient to get to work...

She looked at him seductively.

“Let's talk about your lost love. Maybe I can be her for you. I don't mind pretending, Jervis...”

He looked to the armed men who stood in the doorway.

“Leave us,” he ordered, and they closed the door behind them.

Stacey smiled broadly as her eyes shone with glee. _He really didn't know what he had brought into his home...Had no one ever told him to never judge a book by its cover? And had he never been warned to stay away from strange women like her?_ The thought made her giggle, and he looked at her in surprise.

“What is it, Stacey?”

“I was just thinking, you and me... I could change my name to Alice if that works for you...”

He grabbed a laptop from the table and set it on his lap as he accessed a photo album.

“Oh, my Alice!” he said as lust gleamed in his eyes, “Let me show you... would you like to see her looking irresistible, Stacey?”

She slowly rose from her seat, licking her lips as she cast a downwards glance at him.

“I think that could be a good start for us...Does she still turn you on?”

“She's dead now, but yes of course!” he replied, shifting in his seat as to Stacey's disgust, he tugged at his zip and freed his erection, laying it on the keyboard of the open laptop as he paused give it a stroke, then he sat back proudly smiling as he beckoned to her.

“Come and see these pictures...”

Stacey swallowed down the puke that had risen in her mouth as she went over to him, standing beside his seat as she looked at the pictures on the screen of a terrified young woman wearing a short, silken night gown as she raised a hand as if to push him away as he took the picture.

“Do you like what you see?” he asked.

Stacey had a plan now.

“Oh yes, I like all of what I see,” she replied, “Tell me more about Alice.”

He gave a sigh as he looked at the images and his cock went solid on the keyboard.

“Our attraction started very young... she was my sister, you see...”

“Your actual, proper sister?” Stacey enquired, hiding her disgust.

“Yes,” Tetch replied proudly, and it was then she saw smeared marks on the screen... _He had been rubbing his cock on pictures of Alice?_

“I pursued her all my life,” Tetch went on, “And sometimes, I caught her!”

He laughed. Stacey leaned closer, laughing too. Tetch was looking into her eyes, anticipating a kiss or her hand on his erection. _Her plan was something else entirely._ Stacey moved fast, as she grabbed the screen, slamming it down on to his cock as he screamed.

“ _YOU DIRTY SICK BASTARD!”_ she yelled, then she grabbed the laptop and ripped it away, raised it, and slammed it into his head with a crack. Tetch fell sideways just as the door opened and armed guards burst in. Stacey whipped out her gun.

“ _You can fuck off too!”_ she shouted, firing off two shots, as one gunman's face exploded in a mess of blood and shattered bone and the other took a shot between the eyes.

Tetch was scrambling for a gun, and she heard the sound of more armed men making a dash for the house.

“ _I'll kill you later!”_ she said darkly, then she grabbed a chair, shattered a window and leapt through it into the rambling grounds of the estate and broke into a run, diving for cover of overgrown shrubbery that led a place where the ground stretched on, overgrown and shaded.

 

Many, many miles away from the violence that was unfolding, life was peaceful for Oswald and Selina as evening shadows began to draw in. Outside, another fall of snow had left a silent, sparkling coat of white on the ground, as inside the tiny house, the lights glowed warmly. Dinner had been good and now Oswald was back in bed and Selina had joined him. As she lay beside him with the covers up to their shoulders, she ran a hand over his chest as she looked into his eyes.

“Nothing has ever felt so right,” she said softly, and she slid the covers down, exposing his chest and placed a kiss over his heart.

He was smiling, and hadn't stopped since they had grown closer as joy reflected in his eyes.

“And you are... quite sure?” he asked, pausing to pull the words together, “You don't think I'm too old, or too fat?”

Her hand moved down to his belly as she gave it an affectionate caress.

“I love you, Oswald. I love your broad hips and those broad shoulders... you look like you could take all the troubles of the world on those shoulders and still carry on.”

She rested her head against his shoulder as he ran his fingers through her hair.

“So nothing about me puts you off?”

She raised her head, meeting his gaze with a look of surprise.

“No! I always thought you looked handsome, I just kept it to myself.”

Her hand slid slowly across his waistline, from hip to hip and back again as she smiled.

“I wouldn't change you for anything. I'll take you just as you are. And you get better with age, Oswald.”

Her words gave him a glow of quiet pride that he enjoyed briefly, then a worrying thought came to mind.

“Selina, do you think it's okay for us to be doing _this_ while I'm recovering?”

She ran her hand up his body as she shifted closer, her eyes radiating deepest love as she gave her reply.

“Sex releases a hormone called oxytocin, often referred to as the love hormone. It can help ease pain and help with healing, too. I'm not saying it will heal you overnight, but it can help,” she told him.

Oswald felt content as he held her in his arms.

“I certainly feel loved,” he admitted.

“That's because you are!” Selena reminded him, and then she drew him closer and they shared a tender kiss as outside, more snow silently fell.

 

As the night darkened down, across the other side of the city, Scarecrow's territory was in chaos as Penguin's men invaded silently, and the night sky was lit with the rage of flames that claimed buildings and armed men, and explosions sent balls of fire into the air as grenades were hurled and more gunfire sounded. _Surrender_ was sprayed on to a wall in red paint, alongside the words, _No Tetch Allegiance._ It was a night of heavy violence. The bodies were left piled in the streets. By ten pm it was over, with Scarecrow making the rare exception of allowing the GCPD to view the carnage. A short while later Scarecrow contacted Tetch to say the deal was off. Now all Tetch had to back him up was Jeremiah Valeska...

 

Ed was at Oswald's desk at City Hall while the carnage had taken place. He was having a quiet drink on his own, and then the peace had been shattered by raised voices as Olga protested  _ Mr Riddler was not to be disturbed.  _

“It's okay, send him in,” Ed called out, and then the door opened and closed again heavily. 

Ed looked up from his desk to see Jeremiah Velaska standing there, his usually pale face was more bloodless than usual and his dark lips looked deep crimson and corpse like as he fixed his gaze on Ed and walked up to his desk.

“Jeremiah,” said Ed, “What a surprise!” and he smiled as Riddler's gaze shone stark and cold.

Jeremiah looked hard at him as he leaned on the desk, and then he began to speak.

“I heard about Scarecrow's territory. I heard about the bodies in the streets.” he paused, drawing in a slow breath, “For Christ's sake, Riddler – Gotham isn't at war any more! No one need this! And me and Ecco have four kids now! I don't need this shit on my doorstep!”

Ed was looking amused.

“I thought as much!” his smile faded, “So hand over the weapons Tetch sold you and we'll say no more about it. Oh, and before you go, remind me who you are grateful to be allied to in these dark and stormy times?”

Resentment reflected in his gaze as he tensed.

“My allegiance is to Mr Freeze, and to Firefly and to Penguin.”

“And in his absence, who else?” Ed asked, gesturing to himself.

“And to Riddler!” Velaska said reluctantly.

Ed waved him away dismissively.

“That's what I wanted to hear. We all stick to co operating and everyone gets along and no one else has to die. Off you go... and remember, I want those guns left over our border by six am tomorrow. See how reasonable I am? I'm even allowing you enough time to read your kids a bedtime story tonight. As long as those weapons are handed over by six am, you and Ecco get to read to your kids tomorrow night too, because you'll still be alive! Are you sure we have a deal?”

Velaska glared at him.

“Done!” he stated coldly, and then he turned away and walked out.

Ed leaned back in Oswald's chair and smiled as satisfaction shone in his gaze. This was not the way Oswald would have done it, but it had certainly worked. If the day came when he found out about it, Ed felt sure he could handle it, he had made the best decision at the time and that would be his defence - at least Oswald would be returning to alliances forced tightly back together with no more risk of unexpected attacks...

 

As night had fallen, Stacey had hidden beneath the shelter of over grown shrubbery. The grounds had been searched and she had kept moving from one hiding place to another, and twice had stumbled into brambles with sharp thorns that had scratched her face and her arms, tearing through the fabric of Oswald's borrowed coat. But she was still hidden, and it was greatly satisfying to hear Tetch yell to his men, _ She's out there, find that maniac! _

He sounded scared, and that was exactly what she wanted... 

It took a while to make her way around to the other side of the estate, where she found a large barn and inside, were several red plastic cans filled with gasoline. She grabbed two and made it to the doorway, then hung back in the shadow as armed men passed by. Then she saw Tetch pointing towards the woodland as he hurried off with two guards, urging them to search deep in forest. 

Now the way was clear she ran out, but the weight of the containers and her lack of the ability to reach for a weapon was disastrous, as one of the armed men darted around a corner and tackled her hard to the ground. She smashed her head on the stony earth, blood ran down her face in a hot streak as she turned and kicked out, then aimed a punch as the guy on top of her ducked and hit her sharply on the cheek with a closed fist and the blow made her teeth rattle. She kicked again, slamming her knee into his groin and then drew out her knife and plunged it into the side of his neck, giving it a twist before tugging it free. He gurgled and choked as blood drenched her, soaking her face and hair and clothing, then she pushed him off, saw a lighter had rolled out of his pocket and guessed this had to be her lucky day. Then she grabbed the containers and ran towards the house, reaching the treeline safely as she began to use its cover to get closer to the target. 

There was a broken window around the side of the house where trees hung close to the building and shaded it in gloom. She poured one gasoline container through, then tossed the other inside where it landed with a heavy splash. Stacey tore off a strip of her shirt, lit it and tossed it inside as she turned and ran. The boom that shook the house lit up the night sky as the fire quickly took hold, the force of the blast threw her face down into the mud and she felt a rib crack and her ankle twist as she landed with a thud. 

Stacey pulled herself up to her knees, shuffling back into the shrubbery as she plunged her hands into the dirt and smeared her face with it to be sure the fire's glare didn't make her stand out. She stayed low, crawling away from the building and up into the edge of the woodland as she watched Tetch, who had run back on hearing the explosion, as he looked on in horror to see his safe house go up in flames. He turned to the two men who had joined him as rage blazed in his eyes matching the inferno the house had become.

“ _FIND HER!”_ he yelled.

Pain was nagging at her body but adrenaline and that whisper in her mind of the sharpness of her knife was enough to keep her going as she thought of her need for revenge:  _ Oswald had been everything to her and that bullet, fired on the command of Tetch, had destroyed her dreams... now it was payback time... _

 

The burning building had become a huge distraction. It was too easy to sneak up on two of his men and lunge with the blade, slicing the throat of one man, then the other as they turned in their last gasp and showered her and then the ground with their life blood. She cut off the heads and set them aside, then split their bellies and plunged her hands deep, drawing out a sloppy mess of guts and scattering them about the ground.

Stacey sheathed the blade, grabbed the heads by the hair and carried them towards the barn. As she heard voices raised in alarm and the sound of puking, she realised her work had been found, and Tetch yelled again to find her. Stacey went over to the car parked in the barn and placed a severed head on the passenger seat, then she unscrewed the cap on another can of gasoline and gave it a kick, sending a slick beneath the vehicle. 

She stepped back into shadow as Tetch ran for the car with keys in his hand, ready to make a run for it. He got into the driver's seat. Then he started up the engine and as something heavy hit the wind shield and cracked it leaving a bloody spiderweb pattern on the glass, he looked in horror to see what had hit the car: 

_ It was the severed head of one of his own men. And there was another on the passenger seat...  _

He screamed, then through the cracked glass he saw Stacey Ripper standing in front of the vehicle, soaked in blood and smiling as she sparked up a lighter.  _ And he could smell gasoline... _

“ _No!”_ he yelled, as she tossed the open lighter. 

He dived out of the car, as the pool beneath the vehicle became a lake of fire and he ran for the door, escaping just as the explosion that followed shattered the barn and the car and sent burning debris up into the air and raining down far and wide. Tetch was thrown face down to the ground. All he could hear was the rage of flames, and then he raised his head and struggled to his feet, in time to see Stacey heading back inside the house, taking the doorway that led into the other half of the vast building, that half was yet to burn, but was slowly filling with smoke.

“ _I'll kill you!”_ he screamed, and then began to run towards the doorway. 

 

The hallway was covered with creeping vines and damp and the crumbling building was now also home to slowly curling smoke that seeped through its corridors. Tetch was running through a haze as Stacey watched from outside, she had climbed out of a window, then as her ankle had throbbed and her rib had ached, she had tugged open the rotting door to an old garden shed. It was full of the smell of age and damp and decay but the tools inside were well preserved. She found what she was looking for and then left the shed, ignoring her pain as she climbed back through the window. Then she heard a cough. Now the smoke was thick in the air, and she ripped off another strip of her bloodstained shirt and tied it around her nose and mouth as the smoke stung at her eyes. 

Tetch was by a stairway, he had slipped and fallen over a chunk of fallen masonry that had been concealed in the smoke, and now he was crawling. As he heard the trail of metal against the floor, he turned his head and his eyes widened in horror to see Stacy Ripper soaked in blood and mud smeared, with a murderous look in her eyes as she limped towards him dragging a large, heavy axe. He was breathless as he coughed in the smoke and tried to crawl away from the stairs and towards a doorway, but she was gaining on him and that dragging sound of the axe was getting closer. He coughed again as her shadow fell over him, then he rolled on his back and looked up at her, holding up a hand as he started to beg.

“Please, spare me! I will give you anything you want!”

She glared down at him as her blood drenched hair hung in wet tendrils dripping crimson.

“It doesn't work like that,” she hissed coldly, “You shattered Oswald's life. _A life for a life,Tetch!_ ”

She raised the axe, and brought it down with a hard swing.

 

By now, Victor Zsasz had caught up with the search party, and their attention had been drawn up river by the distant explosion and the flames that lit the night sky. They had followed the river, and Victor had looked in amazement at the sight of the headless bodies with their guts part fried over the campfire. While a few of the other guys started gagging and puking, he was looking on admiring Stacey's  _ murderous art _ , and taking silent note to wait until daybreak and capture this in a photograph, and those severed heads on the stakes, too... he hoped he would find more of what he called her  _ killing art  _ at the scene of the devastation. _ After that, his only dilemma would be what size to have the photos printed and what frames to set them in... _

Then he led the way, following the firelight through the woodland and reaching the burning building. By now the whole place was ablaze. There were bodies on the ground, slit open and gutted like fish, others with their throats cut and bleeding out. There was a random severed head outside the wreckage of a barn.  _ But Stacey was nowhere to be found, and Tetch was also missing... _

 

Back at City Hall as the hour grew late, there was a heavy knocking on the door. Ed was still up, having a celebratory drink as he sat at Oswald's desk. When Olga announced Jim Gordon was here to see him, he told her to send him in. Jim walked in with a look of fury in his eyes.

“There was a massacre tonight,” he said darkly as he looked at Nygma's smug expression and tried to contain his rage, “Scarecrow's people were hit. Took out half his army. They used grenades and flamethrowers,” he leaned on the desk, glaring at Ed, “If I find one piece of evidence, _any_ scrap of proof that you gave this order, I will have your ass back in Arkham for the rest of your fucking life!”

Ed smiled politely.

“You'll have to prove it first, Jim.”

Jim thumped the desk as frustration got the better of him.

“What was this, some kind of revenge attack? Scarecrow's people were mixed up with Tetch?”

Ed gave a shrug.

“I really can't help you with this as I know nothing about it,” he replied.

Jim shot him a furious look.

“If I prove it, you _will_ be back in Arkham!” he said darkly, and then he walked away. 

Ed watched him leave as he smiled coldly.

“Good luck with that, Jim,” he murmured, “But no one will dare speak out - you know it and so do I!”

 

Far away in the dark woods, Stacey Ripper limped and stumbled in the cold as her clothing felt heavy and sticky with blood. She staggered through the forest, making a slow and painful way back towards the city, knowing if she walked on without stopping, she would get there before daybreak. Nothing would stop her fulfilling her promise, not rain or snow or icy wind, nor her fractures or her twisted ankle. She had promised the head of Jervis Tetch on a spike outside City Hall, and that was what she would deliver.

She staggered on, her path lit only by moonlight as she walked on towards the darkened city, carrying the severed head of Tetch as she made her way homeward...

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 

It was almost dawn by the time the severed head of Jervis Tetch was found impaled on spiked railings near City Hall. Two hours later when Victor returned, he heard about the head on the spike and thought of Stacey. He asked the men who guarded the building, but no one had seen her. Then he went inside and saw bloody boot prints on the marble floor, leading up to the stairway. It was early, Olga was not yet up to complain about the mess, and he didn't doubt Ed would sleep in late, hung over after having more few drinks to celebrate his massacre – an act he didn't doubt Penguin would be furious about...

Victor followed the blood all the way along the upper hall, until he reached the room where Stacey had stayed when she had first moved in. The bedroom was empty, but he could hear running water coming from the bathroom. He approached the doorway, saying her name softly. There was no reply, and he opened the door and went inside. There was a pile of bloody clothing on the floor, and Stacey was sitting in the shower, her knees up to her chest and her head bowed as she sobbed under running water that had long since washed away the blood. Victor turned off the water and grabbed a towel, then pulled her to her feet and wrapped her in it, keeping hold of her shoulders as trembled and sobbed again.

“I saw what you did,” he said softly, “You did it, Stacey. You took revenge. Penguin would be proud of you.”

She looked up at him as tears streaked her face.

“ _But he doesn't remember me!”_ she wept, and Victor hugged her tightly, then he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom, where he turned back the covers and laid her down, then folded the covers over her.

“You rest now,” he told her, “You're covered in bruises and you've been through a lot. You need to get some sleep.”

Then he left the room. Stacey did sleep, she slept for the rest of the day, and into the next, as if all she had done had drained the life out of her and taken every last shred of her strength. But it would be a long while before she saw Oswald again...

 

_The winter passed by and spring came along._

The cold weather was gone and by now, as the days became brighter, the vast improvement in Oswald's heath was more noticeable. He had more energy, his speech was back to normal and most importantly – as far as he was concerned – his black spikes had grown back, and he took great joy in styling them every morning when he got up.

By now he and Selina had slid into a new way of life, it was a different life, far from the city and the responsibilities that weighed heavy on him as a crime lord. He never called home, always asking Selina to do it instead. He preferred to spend his days at the house, or out walking Edward. Sometimes he went into town with Selina and they went shopping or had coffee together and watched the world go by. At weekends they went to the movies or out for dinner. Everything was done together and everywhere they went, they held hands, or he had his arm around her. They were never apart and every night, they spent many hours between twilight and daybreak taking joy from simply being in each others arms and making love together. It was a life neither of them wanted to leave behind.

“Soon, I will have to return to Gotham,” Oswald said quietly as they lay in bed together on a bright Sunday morning as spring sunshine fell in through the net curtains.

Selina's eyes shaded with sadness and Oswald turned on his side and caught hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly.

“I have an empire, Selina. And we heard all about what happened while I've been gone – Ed needs to be put in his place. I see now that he can't be given absolute control in my absence. And Stacey killed Tetch for me, she did more than that, she took out half his men too. That was pure revenge in my name, I have to return and thank her.”

Selina was still holding his hand.

“And then what?” she asked in a hushed voice, “You'll go back to work and go back to her?”

“No!” he insisted, “No, Selina! I told you, I do not recall her, at least, I don't sharply recall what we shared. But I do know I love you and that is why we must make a plan that considers our happiness...” suddenly there was a look in his eyes that very much reminded her Penguin was back to his old self, he did have a plan, and by the smile that had just crept to his face, she knew she was going to like it....

“What is this plan?” she asked.

 _He explained. She listened._ By the time he had stopped explaining, Selina reached for him, covering his mouth with a kiss as tears of joy shone in her eyes.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked him.

“Yes my love, I am _very_ sure!” Oswald promised her.

Selina hugged him tightly, then they kissed again, and that led to spending the next hour slowly and tenderly making love. By noon, their plans were set. Selena made a call to say Penguin would be returning to City Hall on Monday, and he had an announcement to make and was calling a meeting of gang leaders...

 

When Monday morning came around Stacey was up early, pacing the floor as she waited for the car to arrive. Victor noticed Ed looked nervous too – and he guessed that he should, after that stunt he had pulled in Penguin's absence...

It was almost mid day when the car pulled up outside City Hall. Stacey stood at the open door and watched as Selina got out, then she helped Oswald out of the car and Edward trotted at his side on a leash as they carefully made their way up the steps and into the building. As Ed hugged Oswald and Victor shook his hand and said _Welcome back Boss_ , Stacey hung back, feeling tearful. Oswald still seemed a little unsteady. His speech was far from perfect. And he was holding hands with Selina Kyle...

As the front door closed, Oswald let Edward off the leash and he headed straight for the large room with the warm fire, as if he had never been away. Then Oswald let go of Selina's hand and said something to her quietly and she nodded, and then he turned to Victor.

“I need to... speak with you, Victor,” he said, “Alone.”

“Of course,” Victor replied, and as he noticed Oswald was a little unsteady and his limp really didn't help it, he placed a hand on his back and took hold of his arm as he led him into a nearby room and closed the door firmly behind them.

 

“Let's sit down and talk, Penguin,” Victor said, “By the way, you're looking a lot better. And I think in time, you will recover, you just have to be patient -”

“Victor, there's nothing wrong with me! I am fully recovered.”

As he made that announcement there was a smile on his face as he limped over to the fireplace and turned with ease, his eyes sparkling as he saw the look of surprise on Victor's face.

“So _why_ are you pretending you're not?” Victor asked.

“Because I also recall Stacey,” Oswald replied, and as he remembered how the memory of her had slowly crept back over the passing weeks, he briefly blinked away tears, but then he smiled again, “Selina and I have fallen deeply in love. Perhaps we fell in love long ago but our hearts were too lazy or blinded to the truth to do a thing about it. It took the shooting to make us both realise how much we care. I shall always be fond of Stacey, perhaps a little more than I care to admit, but my heart is with Selina. As soon as I remembered everything I sat down and shed a lot of tears - but I had to make a choice and it wasn't as hard as I imagined – Selina Kyle is the woman I want to spend the rest of my days with. And we want to do that away from Gotham.”

Victor smiled fondly as he nodded.

“I get it now. You want everyone to think you're stepping down because of the shooting. And that leaves you free to claim you don't recall Stacey – better for her this way, and better for you. She can't envy losing you when she thinks you can't remember her. And if Ed knew you'd made a full recovery, he would never stop asking you to come back... What are you gonna do about Ed?”

On hearing the name of his best friend, Oswald gave a weary sigh.

“Obviously, he can't be relied upon to make major decisions involving underworld disputes. At least, not alone. That's why I'm maintaining ultimate ownership and control but delegating the day to day running of my empire to more than one person in my absence.”

Victor looked intently at him.

“Who?”

Oswald gave him a bright smile.

“Wait and see!” he replied, then he limped over to the door and opened it and rejoined the others in the hallway.

 

Now Oswald had rejoined them, Ed was the first to shove past Stacey to get to him first.

“I'm so glad you're back!” he said, “It's not been the same without you.”

Oswald adjusted his monocle and looked at him intently.

“I know,” he replied, “I heard about what you did on scarecrow's turf. I do NOT approve. You will _not_ be pulling a stunt like that again. You could have sparked a gang war! The only reason....” he paused, remembering to halt his speech mid flow, “The only reason it did not happen is because...I asked Victor to apologise and compensate him. You will _not_ be destructive like that again!”

Hurt reflected in Ed's eyes.

“I was just trying to help you!”

“I know,” Oswald replied, and then Stacey touched the sleeve of his jacket and as he turned to face her, he felt heartache that he didn't dare to show as their eyes met.

“Stacey,” he smiled, “Thank you for... what you did. I heard about it... Tetch.”

“You still don't remember me?”

Oswald looked down at the floor, then he met her gaze again.

“No,” he stated, “I am sorry, but no.”

She blinked away tears as she forced a smile.

“But you're happy with Selina?”

He smiled back at her.

“Yes, I am,” he assured her and as she hugged him, he wanted to weep, but all he had to do was think of the future he had planned out and those tears vanished before they had a chance to show. He had made his choice, and it was the right choice. Selina Kyle was the love of his life...

 

An hour later, the meeting of gang leaders began. The large table was full to capacity as Oswald sat at the head of it, waiting for everyone to take a seat. One of those last to arrive was Ivy Pepper, who shot Selina a curious look and said, _I still don't understand why I was invited today..._

Then Oswald got up, leaning hard on the table to give the illusion he was still a little unsteady.

“I am not here in Gotham to stay” he announced, “I have been told I will never... make a full recovery.”

As a murmur went round the table and some of the gang leaders expressed words of sympathy, Victor, who watched at a distance as he leaned against the wall away form the meeting, looked away as he smirked.

“Yeah, right...” he chuckled. And then he carried watching Penguin's' performance, as he fooled everyone around the table:

“I shall maintain ultimate ownership and control of this turf....but I am delegating the daily running of it to three people....” he paused, now the room had gone silent as everyone looked at him intently wondering who would get the enviable position of leadership.

Oswald was silent for a moment as he thought about the reasons for his choice, and then he continued:

“Edward Nygma, because he has served me well over the years... Ivy Pepper for all her _help_...” he paused, catching the look of surprise on Ivy's face... as she looked back at him, she read his expression right: _This was gratitude, for pushing him and Selena together?_

“Thanks, Pengie!” she said.

“You're most welcome,” he replied, then he added, “And Stacey Ripper. The three of you will work together to control the running of my empire. And now.. I have another announcement to make.”

He looked around the table as his eyes shone with joy.

“Selina and I are now in a relationship. When we leave Gotham, we will be...” he paused again, maintaining the illusion that speech was hard, “Starting a life together.”

As the others at the table congratulated him and wished them well, Stacey blinked away tears. _He had trusted her to run his empire alongside Ed and Ivy? To give her something so precious meant more to her than words could convey..._

 

When the meeting was over, Oswald made the excuse that he tired easily and needed to leave, because he knew too many people would keep him talking for far too long – and he was impatient to drop the act and energetically hug Selina and celebrate the start of their new life.

Saying goodbye to Ed was hard. It was even harder to briefly hug Stacey as memories flooded back sharply as he thanked her for all she had done for him.

“I will faithfully protect everything that is yours, Oswald,” she told him.

“I know you will, my dear,” he replied fondly.

He saw tears in her eyes and then looked away, remembering life was short and he fully intended to spend the rest of his years with Selina. Then he put Edward in the car and climbed in the back and Selina joined him and they were driven away from City Hall, to take the boat away from Gotham to start the first day of their new life far from the city.

As they went back inside, Ivy announced she wanted to have a drink to celebrate her new position in Penguin's empire.

“I think I'll join you,” replied Ed, “I could use a drink too.”

Victor noticed Stacey was standing there in the hallway looking lost and tearful.

“Come with me,” he said, “I have a surprise for you Stacey, you'll love it!”

She shook her head.

“Not right now, Victor...” she drew out her phone,”I need to call my brother,” she said, and she walked off to the stairway and sat down on the stairs and made a call to London.

 

Just before his phone rang, Miles Ripper was sitting at a table in a pub in London, having a pint with his brother Calvin. He had been thinking about Stacey, and all she had told him about how she had slaughtered the man who had made her shoot Oswald.

“You know why she did it, same reason she killed the bloke who shot our Dad,” said Miles, “And before you start laughing and taking the piss, I know for a fact she does those terrible things because of the Ripper connection!”

Calvin looked at him in confusion.

“ _The what?”_

“Our _very_ great grandfather, Jack Ellis Fernsby. I heard the story from our late Grandmother. He was Jack the Ripper! He had to leave Whitechapel after the murders! And I remember she told me, every morning he used to say to his wife, _My knife's_ so _nice and sharp,_ _I want to get to work_. That's why Stacey killed Jax the way she did – and why she butchered Tetch!”

Calvin looked at his younger brother. Then he looked down at his pint glass, shaking his head as he started to smile.

“It's not funny!”

“Yes it is,” said Calvin, “Miles, listen to me: Jack the Ripper didn't stab people in showers. And he certainly didn't shave his hair into a death hawk and mount heads on spikes! I heard a lot more about Jack Ellis Fernsby than you did. I recall that story that went down through the generations very well indeed - and you've got it all wrong!”

Miles looked at him blankly.

“How could it be wrong?”

Calvin gave a sigh.

“Jack changed his name to Ripper -”

“Because he was the killer!” Miles insisted.

“No, you idiot, he did it for a bet. A very substantial bet - and when he collected the money, he sold up his business in Whitechapel and bought a bigger shop in Southgate!” Calvin told him, pausing to sip his beer, “And yes, he _did_ say that to his wife every morning before he went to work – she used to sharpen his knives for him. She was also sex mad! That's why they had fifteen kids! Some mornings he had to fight her off just to get out the door! That's why, every morning when she'd finished sharpening his tools of the trade, he would say, _My knife's_ so _nice and sharp._ _And now I really want to get to work!_ Then he would dash out the door before she had the chance to drag him back to bed make him late!” he threw his head back and laughed, “Oh Miles, Jack the Ripper? No Bruv, you got it all wrong!”

Miles stared at him as he thought about his version of events he had secretly related to Stacey.

“So if we're not related to Jack the Ripper, why does she do those terrible things?”

Calvin stopped smiling.

“Well,” he said with a shrug, “I guess she does it because she's crazy. _Our sister is insane, Miles_.”

Just then his phone rang. Miles checked the number. It was Stacey.

“I won't be a minute,” he said, and went outside.

Stacey sounded upset.

“Oswald came home,” she said, “And then he left again, with Selina. He will never remember me or us or anything we shared. But he did leave me and two another people in charge of his empire.”

Miles blinked.

“You're running an empire? Well, that was generous of him! I hope you said thanks!”

She sniffed.

“I just wanted him to love me.... but I'm glad I took revenge on Tetch. He's the one who destroyed what we had, he's the one who hurt Oswald. I'm glad he's dead. I sometimes think it's a good thing I've got that Ripper gene or whatever it is. At least it means I can avenge those I love. That makes it so much easier to live with.”

Miles had considered telling her the truth, but on hearing those words, he changed his mind.

“Well, it's obviously something that helped you to take revenge,” he replied, “It can't be such a bad thing after all.”

Just then Calvin stuck his head out the door.

“Want another pint?”

“Yeah, I'm coming back in now...” he replied, then he spoke quickly to Stacey, “I've got to go, sis. Speak soon.”

“Bye, Miles - and say Hi to Calvin for me.”

“Will do, see you later.”

The call ended.

 

As Miles hung up and the call cut off, Stacey sat on the stairs looking down at her phone, missing home, her brothers and feeling as if the rest of her life would be lonely now she had lost Oswald. Just then, Victor came up to her.

“Cheer up,” he said, “I've got something to show you - and you will love it!”

She gave a sigh and got up from the stairs, stepped down and joined him and then looked up at him.

“Okay, what is it?” she asked, “I doubt anything could make me happy on a day like this one.”

Victor smiled.

“I think you will like it,” he told her, giving her a look that said he had some great secret, and now she felt intrigued as he led her up the hallway, then down another corridor, where they came to a locked door.

“I had to instruct Olga never to enter this room,” he told her as he pulled out a key and unlocked the door, “What I keep in here is a secret, I can only share it with you.”

Then they stepped inside and he closed the door and turned on a single switch that lit a dim bulb, leaving the marble walls in shadow.

“It's just a room,” Stacey said.

That look of mystery was back in his eyes.

“There's more. But first let me tell you something – we both like killing people, you'll find this hilarious! One day Penguin sent me out to kill these two guys, so I cut their heads off. But then I put them back on, but I switched the heads around!”

“Why?” she asked.

“Well, _I_ thought it was funny. But I guess I don't have your gift... and your gift deserves a gallery!”

He hit more lights. The room was softly illuminated, and on the walls were large prints of the killing of Jax Marmaduke, then prints of the two heads on stakes by the river and the headless bodies with the intestines in the frying pan. On the other side of the room were shots from the Tetch killings. She stepped into the middle of the room and looked around again. Victor joined her.

“I gave careful thought to the angles of the spotlights,” he said, “To make the most of your _Murder Art_. This is your gallery, because your work is _so_ much more intricate than mine, you don't just shoot people, Stacey – you use them like shiny, gory sculptures! So I made this gallery in honour of you.”

She looked up at him. He smiled down at her. She smiled too.

“This Ripper gene inside me... you understand it!”

“Yes, I do, I love it!” he exclaimed.

And that was the moment everything changed. That was the moment she reached for him to give him a hug and he reached for her and as they connected, they kissed. _Many years later, Mrs Stacey Zsasz would recall this moment, saying to their son, 'And that was the day I fell in love with your Father...'_

 

For Oswald and Selina, the ride to the docks was made in silence, as he kept up the pretence of feeling tired as he rested his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes, aware that one of his own men was driving the car. When they boarded the boat, he was helped on board and then Selina led him below decks, where a cabin had been made comfortable for him. Every person he dealt with from the drive to the boat called him _Mr Penguin_ , and took extra special care to ensure he was comfortable, because they all believed he was still struggling.

While they were in the cabin, he sat down on the bed and as the engine started up he caught Selina's hand, pulling her close for a quick kiss, before he laid back, resting as he had before, with Edward at his side. Selina sat on the edge of the bed, her hand in his grip as she smiled.

“We're really doing this!” she whispered as her eyes shone with delight.

“I know!” Oswald said as he laughed, “It feels like we're running away! It's so exciting!”

“It will be,” Selina promised as she leaned over him and looked into his eyes, “It's going to be the best, most exciting thing we've ever done – this is the start of the rest of our lives – together!”

 

When the boat reached shore, Selina carried Edward and set him down on dry land, then turned back to help Oswald off the boat. He leaned against her heavily, keeping up the act of being unsteady, then they walked away from the water, with Edward on the leash, as they headed for Selina's parked car.

By the time they reached the car, the boat was gone and the quiet road was silent. Selina put Edward in the car and then turned to Oswald. Her eyes were shining with excitement and his gaze matched hers.

“We did it!” she exclaimed, “We're free! No more gang wars, no more fighting or getting shot at!”

Oswald reached for her.

“No more Penguin and Cat. Now we're Oswald and Selina!”

She laughed.

“With our dog Edward – and in time, a couple of kids. Little penguins.”

“Or little kittens,” Oswald added.

Then he took off his hat and tossed it through the open car door where it landed on the back seat, purely because he knew she liked to run her fingers through his hair when she kissed him and that was about to happen any minute now...

He grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes.

“Let's do this properly. I need to ask you something again. And this time I want to say everything that was on my mind, all the things I held back many years ago.”

Selina held his hands tightly.

“Say it.”

Oswald paused, smiling as he recalled how he had wished he could have said more so long ago. Now, he would say it all.

“Selina,” he said, “Will you leave Gotham with me, and make a new life with me and be my wife?”  
She laughed with delight as her eyes sparkled.

“ _Yes!”_

Oswald pulled her close and lifted her up as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and they shared a kiss, then he lowered her to the ground once more and she looked at him in surprise.

“Wow, you've certainly got your strength back!”

“I'm full of surprises!” he assured her, and leaned in, stealing another kiss that grew passionate as he held her close and she ran her fingers through his hair. Then he took her by the hand, barely noticing his limp as they got into the car. Then they exchanged a glance.

“Ready?” she said.

Oswald turned to Edward, who was on the floor in the back.

“Ready, Edward?”

His bulldog looked back at him with shiny, happy eyes, then Oswald turned back to the front and briefly caught hold of Selina's hand.

“Ten minutes from now, we will be home. Our new home, together. The rest of our lives starts today. I love you so very much!”

“I love you too,” she said, and they shared another kiss, then Selina laughed.

“I'm _so_ excited!” she exclaimed.

“So am I!” said Oswald, “Let's go home, Selina!”

And she started the engine and they drove away, heading for the place they had come to think of as home, miles from the city where they would just be Selina and Oswald, yet to them, this ordinary life would be the most exciting new chapter of their lives, because they would be spending it together.

_They had made the right decision. Three months later they would be married. Two months after that, Selina would be thrilled to tell Oswald she was carrying their first child. And life would only get better and better, but all of that was yet to come._

As they drove away, heading for home to start their new life, they didn't look back or think about the past, all they did was talk of the future, looking forward with hope in their hearts – this was the start of something good, they both felt it - and they were both right, too.

 

End

 

 


End file.
